Are you an optimist or a pessimist?

[Nataly 38]

For the purposes of this poll, let's say that:

Optimist = tends to focus on the positive

Pessimist = tends to focus on the negative

I deliberately did not include a third option, which would be "mix of the two"...  We all sit on a spectrum and almost no one is perfectly in the middle!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gowlerk 2,072]

I’m an optimist. Also a liberal. My belief is that they are the same thing and just like you say they both have a spectrum .

Edited February 7, 2021 by gowlerk

[wmw999 2,291]

I'd echo what gowlerk just said, except I think they're related and influential on each other, but not the same thing.

Wendy P.

[Nataly 38]

Same same but different.  As my yoga instructor used to say 

I am definitely a pessimist.  I almost don't know what to do when good things happen because that's not what I planned for!!! 

I see everything that could go wrong in an instant and I have to "force" myself back to reason and realise that the worst case scenario is also not the most likely outcome...  

I expect life to be a constant struggle, with small moments of joyfulness.  I treasure the good times because I feel like they too shall pass...

[NewGuy2005 51]

1 hour ago, Nataly said:

...I expect life to be a constant struggle, with small moments of joyfulness.  I treasure the good times because I feel like they too shall pass...

That's about as good as it gets.  Looks like you've got it well sorted.

I'm an optimist, but the last year has made me less so.

[Nataly 38]

49 minutes ago, NewGuy2005 said:

I'm an optimist, but the last year has made me less so.

Sorry to hear that 

[oldwomanc6 38]

I'm an optimist, but also a conservative.  

Generally, I feel you make of your life what you put into it .  

No one else can make you feel better. Only you can. 

 

It's this easy? No, but mindset makes a difference. 

 

I used to be one of the most negatively minded persons ever, but one day I made a decision. 

 

About a year after I held a knife to my throat in front of my mom. 

[Nataly 38]

11 hours ago, oldwomanc6 said:

I'm an optimist, but also a conservative.  

Generally, I feel you make of your life what you put into it .  

No one else can make you feel better. Only you can. 

 

It's this easy? No, but mindset makes a difference. 

 

I used to be one of the most negatively minded persons ever, but one day I made a decision. 

 

About a year after I held a knife to my throat in front of my mom. 

Whoa - so much to unpack and thank you for that response :)

So interesting that 2 people added whether they are liberal / conservative!! 

So I started googling whether being one or the other is correlated with optimism...  Honestly the results varied so much I didn't feel strongly convinced either way...  Seemed more like people were writing articles that bent the truth in a direction that suited them - didn't find any scientific research with data.  Not saying there is no research - maybe my algorithms have decided that I can't handle "real" data - hahahahahahaha!!!!

I agree that mindset is very powerful and that you reap what you sow...  I don't want this to end up in SC so I will just say that some people are planting in soil and some in asphalt so results will vary!!

[johnhking1 83]

I think I am more of a glass is too big person.

[raftman 12]

I always thought the glass was too small!

[d123 1]

If you like miracles you better be a pessimist 

Let us rejoyce for pessimits and yes, hope is the thing with feathers.

[gowlerk 2,072]

On 2/8/2021 at 6:19 AM, Nataly said:

So I started googling whether being one or the other is correlated with optimism...  Honestly the results varied so much I didn't feel strongly convinced either way... 

 

On 2/8/2021 at 6:19 AM, Nataly said:

So interesting that 2 people added whether they are liberal / conservative!! 

My fault and I'm probably wrong. It is likely just my bias that makes me feel they are correlated.

[Nataly 38]

On 2/13/2021 at 2:08 PM, gowlerk said:

 

My fault and I'm probably wrong. It is likely just my bias that makes me feel they are correlated.

 

Hahahaha!!!  Wasn't a criticism - just found it genuinely interesting that 2 people felt they were connected!!! 

And actually I suppose you are both right...  The same way that the glass can be half-full and also half-empty at the same time...  And it would be just as accurate to describe the glass as two times too big for the amount of water 

[oldwomanc6 38]

6 hours ago, Nataly said:

 

Hahahaha!!!  Wasn't a criticism - just found it genuinely interesting that 2 people felt they were connected!!! 

And actually I suppose you are both right...  The same way that the glass can be half-full and also half-empty at the same time...  And it would be just as accurate to describe the glass as two times too big for the amount of water 

I only brought it up because someone else put it on the table, and I don't think there is a correlation

[SethInMI 156]

i don't think there is much of a correlation. My wife and I are libs. She is a pessimist, and I am an optimist.

[Cutaway68 4]

A pessimist says “It CAN’T get any worse than this”.

 

An optimist says “Sure it can!!!”.

 

Also, what about the realist option? The glass is ALWAYS full. Because... air!

 

ETA: Yes, I read the first defining post.

Edited February 22, 2021 by Cutaway68

[Rick 67]

I am on optimist. I believe in thinking positive and counting on good things to happen. I think having that mindset has helped me take some risks in life that turned out wonderfully. 

I don't think there is a correlation to lib or con in being either one.

[neilmck 36]

On 2/9/2021 at 4:36 PM, johnhking1 said:

I think I am more of a glass is too big person.

I'm more of a drink it straight from the bottle person.

[Conundrum 1]

Pessimist, but I’m working on changing to optimist 

[David Wang 50]

Optimist. I've realized that I'm really an optimist after my accident. I didn't even get depression, PTSD, etc etc