# Groundhog's Day = Pessimism? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [April 23, 2008, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhogs-day-pessimism/446555 "2008-04-23T16:04:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhogs-day-pessimism/446555/1 "2008-04-23T16:04:38Z")
In [this](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_054.html) column, Cecil says he doesn’t know why good weather in early February is supposed to mean bad weather soon after. I think it just basic, protective pessimism. My Father used to complain that his Mother would upbraid him with a saying that she got from her Father: “Sing before breakfast: cry befor supper.” Yes, my family is a little wierd, but the basic “don’t trust good luck to last” idea is, I think, widespread. Got an unexpected bonus from work? Don’t blow it on a night out, sock it away in savings, so you’ll have the funds when your transmission shreds itself. Get nice warm weather in early February? Don’t stop chopping wood, use the good weather to chop a little more. If you don’t, you’ll need it. And mend those mittens while there’s good light for it. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhogs-day-pessimism/446555/2 "2008-04-23T16:33:36Z")
**Groundhog’s Day=Pessimism?** In [this](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_054.html) column, Cecil says he doesn’t know why good weather in early February is supposed to mean bad weather soon after. I think it just basic, protective pessimism. My Father used to complain that his Mother would upbraid him with a saying that she got from her Father: “Sing before breakfast: cry befor supper.” Yes, my family is a little wierd, but the basic “don’t trust good luck to last” idea is, I think, widespread. Got an unexpected bonus from work? Don’t blow it on a night out, sock it away in savings, so you’ll have the funds when your transmission shreds itself. Get nice warm weather in early February? Don’t stop chopping wood, use the good weather to chop a little more. If you don’t, you’ll need it. And mend those mittens while there’s good light for it. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhogs-day-pessimism/446555/3 "2008-04-23T17:49:21Z")
[QUOTE=Mr Shine] **Groundhog’s Day=Pessimism?** In [this](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_054.html) column, Cecil says he doesn’t know why good weather in early February is supposed to mean bad weather soon after. I think it just basic, protective pessimism. My Father used to complain that his Mother would upbraid him with a saying that she got from her Father: “Sing before breakfast: cry befor supper.” Yes, my family is a little wierd, but the basic “don’t trust good luck to last” idea is, I think, widespread. Got an unexpected bonus from work? Don’t blow it on a night out, sock it away in savings, so you’ll have the funds when your transmission shreds itself. Get nice warm weather in early February? Don’t stop chopping wood, use the good weather to chop a little more. If you don’t, you’ll need it. And mend those mittens while there’s good light for it. [/QUOTE] Good point, but I tend to agree more with **Yllaria**. ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhogs-day-pessimism/446555/4 "2008-04-24T13:14:24Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Lendervedder] Good point, but I tend to agree more with **Yllaria**. [/QUOTE] No, no. **Happy** ’s take was much more cogent. RR ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhogs-day-pessimism/446555/5 "2008-04-24T15:07:32Z")
[QUOTE=RiverRunner] No, no. **Happy** ’s take was much more cogent. RR [/QUOTE] I don’t know **River** your argument was very intelligent and well thought out. I wouldn’t count yourself out yet. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhogs-day-pessimism/446555/6 "2008-04-24T21:05:20Z")
Aren’t you supposed to change the color to purple or yellow or something? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhogs-day-pessimism/446555/7 "2008-04-24T22:03:04Z")
Seems to me in order to see a shadow in February, you don’t need warm weather, just clear weather, and that means cold temperatures in most northern tier states. If it is cloudy, it is always warmer, but less likely to produce shadows…