Pessimist or Optimist, Which Are You?

26 replies
Found this in a good book...

The optimist lives under a clear sky; the pessimist lives in a fog. The pessimist hesitates, and loses both time and opportunity; the optimist makes the best use of everything now, and builds themselves up,
steadily and surely, until all adversity is overcome and the object in view realized.

The pessimist curbs their energies and concentrates their whole attention upon failure; the optimist gives all their thought and power to the attainment of success, and arouses their faculties and forces to the highest point of efficiency. The pessimist waits for better times, and expects to keep on waiting; the optimist goes to work with the best that is at hand now, and proceeds to create better times.

The pessimist pours cold water on the fires of their own ability; the optimist adds fuel to those fires. The pessimist links their mind to everything that is losing ground; the optimist lives, thinks and works with everything that is determined to press on. The pessimist places a damper on everything; the optimist gives life, fire and go to everything.

The optimist is a building force; the pessimist is always an obstacle in the way of progress. The pessimist lives in a dark, soggy unproductive world, the optimist lives in that mental sunshine that makes all things grow.

Moral of this story...Don't be a Pessimist ;-)
#optimist #pessimist
  • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
    Banned
    What about realists? Not everyone can just choose one side or the other I feel...
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  • Profile picture of the author GT
    Great post by the OP and a very good comment from Joe.

    I hear what you are saying, Joe, but personally I think you can be both a realist and an optimist. You can have very positive and realistic expectations regarding a situation and how to approach it while still remaining flexible as to the exact steps or process of dealing with it.

    GT
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    • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
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      Originally Posted by GT View Post

      Great post by the OP and a very good comment from Joe.

      I hear what you are saying, Joe, but personally I think you can be both a realist and an optimist. You can have very positive and realistic expectations regarding a situation and how to approach it while still remaining flexible as to the exact steps or process of dealing with it.

      GT
      Care to elaborate? I'm not trying to be obtuse . It's just something I don't find myself quite able to wrap my head around. I don't fit myself into the category of optimist or pessimist. I call myself a realist because when I look at a situation, I put together how I think it is going to turn out in my head, and just kind of go "OK, that's whats going to happen."

      I don't get a feeling from it, good or bad, and don't try too often to look one way or the other (positive or negative). Don't know if I'm explaining it very well. It's just weird to me lol.
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      • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
        Originally Posted by Joe Robinson View Post

        "...I put together how I think it is going to turn out in my head, and just kind of go "OK, that's whats going to happen."
        That's life's nugget right there and relates directly to the question, which are you? The way you think something is going to turn out (at least the stuff you can influence) is usually the way it turns out.

        People shuffle around looking for walls will surely find them. And people with a bounce in their step looking for bridges most often find them. Could it be that simple? Yep. It is.
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    • Profile picture of the author Will Golding
      I agree there is a time to be an optimist, a time to be a pessimist but we all need to be a realist.

      DREAM (optimist)
      MAKE MISTAKES (pessimist)
      TAKE ACTION AND LIVE IT! (REALIST)
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  • Profile picture of the author carmanjosephine
    of course an OPTIMIST...
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  • Profile picture of the author peterb1234
    I used to be indecisive, but not sure anymore.....only joking

    Definitely an optimist
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  • Profile picture of the author didiert
    Optimist for sure
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  • Profile picture of the author therenegadeleader
    Always be positive on what you do, that's it should be. But never forget the reality.
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  • Profile picture of the author Chloe Emerson
    Prepare for the worst and expect the best~
    optimist who lives in reality
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  • Profile picture of the author Lovenus
    Optimist ^^
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  • Profile picture of the author helpmefindmyself
    I always look on the upside of a situation. If something goes bad, I look for the opportunity it might be offering. Benefit can always be had from any situation. I am an optimist
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  • Profile picture of the author QuelThalas
    it's good to be optimist but changing point of view is quite difficult.
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  • Profile picture of the author jay walters
    I would say I am an optimist. When others see obstacles, I see an opportunity to rise up for the challenge.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gary Ning Lo
    Just read a statics on Pessimist & Optimist..

    It seems that Pessimist live longer o.0

    Cheers,

    Gary
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    • Profile picture of the author Jeff Schuman
      Originally Posted by Gary Ning Lo View Post

      Just read a statics on Pessimist & Optimist..

      It seems that Pessimist live longer o.0

      Cheers,

      Gary
      Yea but what a miserable way to live. I can't imagine always thinking things are going to turn out bad. I would rather think they are going to turn out good and then be surprised if they don't.

      I understand we don't always get what we think, but it is more fun to have hope then no hope!
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      • Profile picture of the author Jonathan 2.0
        Banned
         
        It's been proven that 85% of what we worry about never actually happens. So, in this instance, being an optimist is actually more realistic.

        * A 2012 study from the University of Cincinnati.
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        "Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem and turned it into an opportunity."―Joseph Sugarman
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  • Profile picture of the author WalterW
    Im optimistic realist
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  • Profile picture of the author mikecount
    An optimist heads for a goal without seeing the pitfalls.
    A pessimist prepares for the pitfalls, but must be reminded of the goals.

    You need both, neither is wrong or better. A well functioning team should have at least 1 pessimist, to keep everybody's feet on the ground
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  • Profile picture of the author dmarseller
    I always try to be optimist but sometimes.....hehehehe.
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  • For the most part I am an optimist. I must admit that pessimism does set up house on the premises every now and then. I find I just can't avoid certain negative states.

    But I usually get over them pretty quickly and back into the optimist fold likity split.

    LLS
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  • Profile picture of the author happydancer
    I'm an optimistic pessimist - hope for the best, plan for the worst. Or is that a pessimistic optimist?!
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  • I am definately an optomist. You should never loose hope in life. Always be optomistic. Things can only go as well as you expect them to and try to make them. As soon as you allow yourself to get negative that will become a self fulfilling prophesy. The most powerful tool you have is your attitude and your ability to stay positive.
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