Wednesday #5 - The Optimist, The Pessimist, and In Between

     Hello everyone! How's everybody doing? It's Wednesday, and I'm sure you know what that means... A NEW BLOG POST! That's right folks, every Wednesday for the next year, something is going up on this blog, so be sure to check in on it! This week, I want to talk about something I was discussing with some friends (when we probably should've been practicing music..)(I'm in a percussion ensemble, this is where this topic originated, or at least for my discussion). Now, let's examine the differences between optimist, realistic optimists, realist, and pessimists, and how they are distinguishable.

The Optimist

     An optimist is often thought of as someone who thinks that everything is great, that every thing is grand (I've got the whole wide world in the palm of my hand...). They believe that, even when things aren't going great, they still will turn around, and everything will turn out just fine. Throughout this discussion, I'm going to make use of a hypothetical math test to explain the four different styles of thinking, and what the expected results are. Let's suppose that you were going into a math test for a class you were taking. For this particular test, you are worried with the grade you are going to earn on it. This worry is because you didn't entirely understand the concepts going to be tested on when they were taught in class, and you didn't study much/well in preparation for the test. In this situation, the optimist wouldn't be shaken on how ill prepared they were. They would think thoughts such as "I'm good at math, I can do well on this test!" or "It's gonna be fine, I'm sure that the test is gonna be easy". In very extreme cases it would be like "I am always going to be good at what I do, and will succeed in everything." In this experiment, the Optimist will think that they will be earning an A, when in fact they tested for a C or maybe a B.
     While being optimistic is good, it can lead to problems. When the delusions of grandeur fall through, the Optimist is left disheartened of course, but that's not the real problem. An Optimist will, despite things often going against them, continue to believe that everything is going their way, and will make irrational decisions based on unlikely chances and high risks of failure.

The Realistic Optimist

     While the Optimist is illogical, and honestly impossible for someone to be a complete optimist, there are a lot of optimistic people. These, I call Realistic Optimists, or R.O.'s for short (things are more legit when they have shortened names, like JFK, NASA, or GTFO)(except for YOLO. YOLO is stupid, and will cause immediate defenestration). You are, most likely, an R.O. dear reader. If you look on the bright side of life, look for the good things that happen, but are still able to comprehend you may not succeed at things, that things will sometimes go against you. As an R.O. you can except [editor's note, it should be accept] that there will be battles that you will lose, despite your hardest effort. In the Math Test Scenario, you would think something like "okay, I didn't really prepare, but I can at least pass this test, maybe get a B on it." This style of thinking is fairly accurate, still leaving room for failure while supporting unexpected success.

     This sort of thinking is (in my personal opinion) the best of the four I will be describing. While it does have it's own weaknesses (the blues will last longer, if an R.O. falls from thinking happy), it allows for life to be enjoyed more, with hopes and dreams that might not be possible still hopeable  (not a word, I know) and dreamable (again, I know).

The Realist

    If you weren't an R.O., chances are you fall into the category of the Realist. I find that Realists are less common then R.O.s, partially because a lot of people give off an optimistic attitude, masking the Realist inside (not to say that being a Realist is bad, but it can be a Debbie Downer). Realists will see things as they are, and can very easily be both optimistic and pessimistic about things. They are less likely to make plans into the future if there is enough uncertainty in them, they won't typically lie about their emotions, and they will often act as a sort of reality check for really optimistic thoughts. They will occasionally not allow themselves to conjure up or entertain fairly irrational ideas involving themselves (they won't believe that they can suddenly change around their lives and become a gold winning Olympic athlete in several years). In our Math Test Scenario, they will realize that they will not perform exceedingly well, but are able to aptly judge their own abilities and know their own limitations.

     The Realist is honestly a fine mindset, but from the several Realist I know (to the Realists who think I'm speaking directly to them, yes I do know more Realists than just you), it can often be demoralizing, and may lead to more pessimistic thoughts than optimistic ones.

The Pessimist

     "The worst of the worst is going to happen", thinks the Pessimist. Much like the Optimist, no one is a complete and true Pessimist. The closest thing you will find is someone who is clinically depressed (which is not good, and if you find yourself thinking you're depressed, talk to someone you trust. Depression is a serious problem), but in a "healthy" mindset, there aren't Pessimists, just pessimism. Pessimism will manifest itself as negative thoughts, believing that the Universe is going against you, nothing will ever go your way. In the Math Test Scenario, the Pessimist believes that they will fail, completely and utterly, when they could easily get a C or a D (a D is still failing though). 

     Pessimism is almost a societal poison. It breeds negativity, denies happiness, and can even take lives. If you honestly think you're a Pessimist, I'm going to tell you now that you simply aren't. You're just a Realist with some negative thoughts. 

     Well, that's about all that I have time for this week. I'll see you guys all next week, but don't forget to leave a comment below about which of the four you think you are, or what should I talk about next week? Also, I may be posting things on the blog not on Wednesdays. These are going to be called Wednesday Extras, and they could be things like a story I wrote, some photos I may have taken, or essays that I write. If you like that idea, let me know.

     I now end this post in the way that it is done

Almost Man

i almost saw an almost man,

he waved at me with his almost hands,

i almost waved when i saw him there

almost alone in his almost chair

it almost seemed like he waited for me

so i invited him in and almost gave him tea

the visit felt good, almost right,

although he stayed almost till night

and as he almost walked out into the snow

i think he almost said goodbye bye, but i'll never know

"JD IS ONE WITH THE UNIVERSE" -Claire Schiavone