Are You an Optimist or a Pessimist?

Watching the daily news in the evening can leave us perplexed. Is the news simply for pessimists or optimists? I do know that many look at a glass of water and label it half full or half empty. I thought, is that the only scale to measure either?

I decided to examine this glass of water test more closely. What is pessimism? Thomas is classified a pessimist because he takes unfavourable views of events or conditions and usually expects unfavorable endings. At the last baseball game, he declared, “I’m pessimistic about our chances—I just don’t think there’s any way we can win.”

Most people would say of Thomas that persons who have consistent views like this are called a pessimist. When someone said this to Thomas, he disagreed saying, “I’m simply being realistic based on the reality of this particular situation, even if it sounds negative, I think we will lose” 

Sheila claims to be an optimist because she has an attitude reflecting hope that any outcome of any specific endeavours will be positive, favourable, and desirable. Sheila always sees the bright side of any situation. It is a trait that makes her either encouraging or annoying, depending on your frame of mind when you talk with her.

The German Lutheran pastor, theologian, and anti-Nazi dissident Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in his book, The Cost of Discipleship: “The essence of optimism is that it takes no account of the present, but is a source of inspiration, vitality, and hope.” This outlook enables individuals like Sheila to hold her head high, to claim the future for herself, and not to abandon it to opponents.

This little vignette may help us see the roots of optimism and pessimism. Identical twelve-year-old twin brothers, Luke and Matthew, may look alike but have different ways of seeing the world. Luke is a stubborn optimist and Matthew an incorrigible pessimist. The parents were concerned about this situation, so they took their sons to a child psychologist.

After hearing their stories, the psychologist said “I think I have a project that may help us begin to find a solution. On their next birthday, give the pessimist the best toys you can afford and give the optimist a huge sack of manure. That will level them off.”

 So, the parents did just that. They put the boys in separate rooms with their presents. When the parents decided to peek into Matthew the pessimist’s room, they saw the little boy looking dejected at his beautiful toys, complaining. “I don’t like this color. This one will probably break. I know a boy who has a better calculator than the one you gave me.”  The poor parents looked at each other and groaned.

Then they stepped across the hall and looked in on Luke, the optimist. He was gleefully digging in the manure shouting, “You can’t fool me. Where there is this much manure, there’s got to be a pony somewhere.” The parents groaned again.

Scriptures imply that Jesus was more an optimist than a pessimist despite his persecution and obstacles. Jesus was an optimist because of his unfailing love for each of us. Jesus was an optimist for another reason as well. He knew that when we commit ourselves to him and make him the foundation of our lives, our sins will be forgiven, and our lives will be changed! We are his everlasting lasting hope which should make us all eternal optimists!

As we ramble through life, whatever be your goal, keep your eye upon the doughnut and not upon the hole. Margaret Atwood.