Are You an Optimist or a Pessimist?

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This is another topic having to do with personality, but fear not! It's not a poll asking you to measure yourself on psychiatric criteria! Are you hopeful about the future? Do you tend to believe you can resolve the problems you are challenged with? Do you easily get down when obstacles invariably arise? I chose not to make this a poll because optimism and pessimism represent the two polar extremes of perspective. Plus, one can be very pessimistic in some ways and very optimistic in others.

As a young child (< age 5, pre-kindergarten), I was very optimistic. I remember my favorite song was "Don't Worry, Be Happy." That reflected my whole outlook on life. Pain was as distant as the moon. I remember having a lot of temper tantrums, but these were only transient. Bullying had its effect on my self-esteem after many years, though.

Today I describe myself as an optimist through pessimism. In the short term, I am a little more negativistic, but I am only hopeful for the future. Eventually, I will resolve all the problems that lie before me! I tend to believe at heart that all disagreements can be solved through calm discussion. The world would be much better without a small minority of people who start most of the trouble. I believe divisiveness is a tactic some people use to turn innocent people against each other so that they can profit from the struggle politically or materially. Ultimately, most people want the same basic things: to be happy, to see to the prosperity of their friends and family, and to learn more about their surroundings. Religious, political, national, and other allegiances are secondary to the commonality of humanity.

I am a pestimist in the Optimist club .

with an offiers role... but shhh dont tell anyone

Pessamist - I try to be an optimist but people continually remind me that they are not to be trusted and are after their own gain - regardless of what they say . . .

I suppose I am more pessamististic than usual due to some recent events . . .

I believe people are not to be trusted and out for their own gain. But I'm an optimist through and through. So long as I'm free to pursue my own goals, I'm glad other people are doing the same. Until they get in my way then it becomes a question of cost-benefit analysis. But even then, benevolence seems to be self-reinforcing.

You forgot realist!

Pessimism. Because I'm always either right or being pleasantly surprised.

No, he included pessimist.

I'm normally optimistic. But I can be pessimistic at times.

GA

i'm normally pessimistic (i prefer "pragmatic", "good planner", "covers all eventualities"), but i can be optimistic.

The opposite of me... hehe, we'd make a good team:

"I think we can do it."
"No, we can't do it, it just won't work."
"You gotta have faith."


GA

you forgot...

*SLAP!* - no it bloody won't and that's final, so shut yer face.

not that i would EVER consider doing that, of course - i'm a FAR better manipulator than that

tehehe...

What's make you think that you wouldn't be manipulated to my way of thinking?

GA

I prefer pessi-realist. I'm a realist who realizes the world sucks.

I'm way too optimistic for my taste. . . .figure that one out.

I'm very much a pessimist.

Pessimist. Well, realist. What I always say is that if you’re prepared for the worst you don’t get disappointed if it happens, and you are pleasantly surprised if it doesn’t