the epic battle between optimism and pessimism.

I’M NOT GOING TO APOLOGIZE FOR BEING OPTIMISTIC

I have no shame in admitting that I am a chronic optimist. Don’t get me wrong, I am realistic. I don’t blindly think positively, but I do tend to err on the side of bright, instead of dark. Blame it on my mom. She is probably the happiest person I know and it’s not even a front.

WHY DOES OPTIMISM BOTHER SOME PEOPLE?

Last week, one of my posts (about the recession) was put on the front page over at Brazen Careerist. Last time I checked, it had 57 responses and what started out as a discussion on the economy (we’re in a recession, didn’t you know?) turned into a battle over optimism and pessimism. The comments, in my opinion, are more interesting than my original post and I thought I’d write something to follow it up.

BEING OPTIMISTIC HAS HEALTH BENEFITS.

There were plenty of comments implying that I was insensitive to people who were laid off or that I couldn’t possibly tell someone to look on the bright side of things when they have been handed such terrible hardship. I can, though. And, I will. Yes, I acknowledge that there is pain right now that has been intensified by the recession. Granted, I think it’s a bit ridiculous that all of a sudden we seem more worried, as a whole, about poverty and unemployment NOW than we did six months (or a year or five years) ago. People have always dealt with hardship. If anything, thank you recession for bringing to light our economy that was failing before, but because the majority of people were living very comfortably, they didn’t seem to care.

YOU’LL BE BETTER OFF

But, you know what? The people who are optimistic about their situation will be better off. It’s not a question about whether or not they will be and, “hey! that’s your opinion, so don’t tell me I should be optimistic when I just want to sit here being a pessimist, but listen to me complain anyways.” It’s proven. Not just proven once. Proven a lot (links above).

PESSIMISM IS RIDICULOUS

The problem with being a pessimist is that you think you are right in being so. And, in your own way, you convince yourself to be a victim in your own life. When you are a pessimist, life happens TO YOU. You do not take control over your circumstance and you blame whatever is convenient. All of a sudden, our focus is on the unemployment rate because of the recession. So, we blame the recession (which, in turn, the media glamorizes, so we stop spending money because we think everyone else isn’t spending money, but that’s another issue). Our unemployment rate is never at 0%, so even when the economy is booming, people still lose their jobs and their health care and get cancer and their pet dies and they get divorced. What do we blame those things on?

POINT YOUR FINGER ELSEWHERE

Let’s see. I’ll blame the cancer on doctors. My lack of job on my previous employer. Lack of health care on the government. The pet dying on God. And the divorce on my ex. Sure, these things did contribute to your state, but there’s no where to go when you just blame, blame, blame, and then point some more fingers. When you allow yourself to look on the bright side of things, then you have control. This cancer is giving me the opportunity to test the fight I have in me. My pet is in a better place. That divorce was necessary, because we were both unhappy.

You won’t get anywhere being pessimistic. My looking on the bright side of things is not me being blind or insensitive or naive. I’ve been dealt my own doses of hardship and I’ve persevered, not because I’m lucky, but because I spent a considerable amount of time getting myself into a positive state. I know not everyone can get there, but does it hurt to try? Are we that afraid to be happy (and resilient) that we will imprison and limit ourselves in the confines of our negativity?

Tagged as: brazen careerist, career, life, optimism, pessimism, relationships