Thread: Which do you prefer: Optimism or Pessimism?

I'm more of a pessimist than an optimist. It keeps me out of crappy situations and drama, and makes me think twice about lots of things that would otherwise be very stupid. I'm not the sit-here-and-sulk type, though. I just question everything with squinted eyes before making a conclusion.

Realizm yo

A pessimist

Optimism because it just feels better

Originally Posted by Dianeva

If you jump from a building and expect to live you're still going to die.

...And then there the other thousand situations where optimism can change the outcome for the better, contrasting with the number of times pessimism offers any benefit - zero.

I am a bit of both. I like to be an optimist when the future is uncertain. There's nothing worse than fretting over something going completely wrong for a year and then when the big event comes, everything is just fine. If you're optimistic, you save yourself so much heartache.

I don't know how pessimism would be good... in any way. Some people say it's "realistic" but if you don't aim high, you won't get anywhere. If you focus on only what reality TELLS you you can accomplish, you will not accomplish much.

Optimism, sure, causes heartache when you fail on your aspirations. But pessimism prevents you from having such aspirations in the first place, doesn't it?

I see the glass half empty if its drank, and the glass is half full if it's filled. I guess this means I'm caught in between.

Who cares if the glass is half empty or half full. Just drink it, for Christ's sake. - a quote from a classmate of mine a few years ago

I guess, if I must be labelled, I'd be walking through life with a 'Hello, I'm a pessimist' sticker on my shirt. This does not mean that I view life as shitty or that I am miserable all the time. This only means that I refuse to subscribe to the belief that we all will live happily ever after. If I'm not expecting rainbows and sunshine all the time then I won't be disappointed if they are absent. On the other hand, if rainbows and sunshine happen I'm all the more grateful to have had the opportunity to experience them.