Optimism: Good or Very, Very Bad?
May 26, 2009 Posted in Reality
We are constantly being told to have confidence, to be optimistic, and that if we believe in ourselves, we can do it! Well, these eye rolling confidence booster clichés are apparently unnecessary, as a recent study proves that 95% of the world’s population is naturally optimistic.
Hmm..now on the surface this everything-is gonna-be-all right mentality may seem like a positive thing, but where do we draw the line between confidence and cockiness? Between optimism and blind ignorance?
I’m totally a glass-is-half-full sorta girl, but I often wonder if all of that positivity is setting me up for major failure down the road. Is this optimism just setting us up for disaster and disappointment? For goals that will never be reached and outcomes that are totally impossible?
Is it possible to be optimistic and realistic? What do you think?
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Positively Present says:
Tue, 26th May 20098:25 am
Yes, yes, yes! You can be positive and realistic. I actually tend to be a half-empty type but I'm really working on seeing the positive side of life (especially through my blog, http://www.positivelypresent.com). I've found that it's definitely possible to be really optimisitic without sounding like you're living in a make-believe, la-la land. I consider myself very realistic and down to earth, but I'm also learning to be very positive too!
Chelzz says:
Tue, 26th May 200911:01 am
Optimism, when nothing is going right, kind of feels like I'm just lying to myself.
Reality always seems to apply to me more then optimism. Like its gonna happen, no matter how I feel about it.
I broke my glass. :/
Jenny says:
Wed, 27th May 200910:11 am
I think it is possible to be a realistic optimist. My dad falls into this category. He hopes for the best, and if things don't turn out so well…well, shit happens. He's always said that what's done is done, and there are other things to be happy about once you move on.
That said, I'm with Chelzz on this one. I'm a pessimist/realist. It's just easier for me to set myself up for disaster and then be pleasantly surprised when things go right.