How optimistic/pessimistic are you about yourself, your life, humanity, and the future of humanity? Poll to follow.
This is not going to go well. 
Generally neutral tending to slightly pessimistic.
Seven responses. Seven different answers. Amazing!
I answered “very optimistic”.
Years ago, I was working for a film studio and there was one woman who was - well, just so damned happy all the time. Seriously, no matter what happened, she was all smiles and just went on with her day. Never once saw her depressed or unhappy.
People joked that she was on drugs.
One day, when nobody was around, I asked her point blank:
“I know shit happens to everybody, and you have a couple of kids and they get sick and other stuff, and I know your husband lost his job and it took awhile for him to find a new one - you’ve gone through some hard times. Yet, I have never seen you “down”. So why are you always so upbeat and happy all the time?”
She smiled (of course) and said, “If you think the worst, it almost always comes true - but if you think the best - well, it doesn’t always come true, but it gives you the strength to keep hoping - and a lot of times, it really does come true. So why not be happy? Good things happen too!”
Maybe she is a bit “new age” and whatever, but it did make a lot of sense. And having studied psychology, I know that positive imagery is very helpful when people get sick or diagnosed with a critical disease. It doesn’t cure all ills by any means, but in general, even people with life-threatening illnesses who have a positive attitude live longer.
I believe some people are survivors. Even in worst case situations, there are often a few people can beat the odds and live through horrible situations. My guess is, optimism helped.
BTW, last time I heard about her a few years ago - she got a promotion at work, her kids were doing well and they bought a new house. I am sure she is happy about that.
We are doomed. Our quest is vain. Onward, to futility !
I’m very optimistic, though most people think I’m a pessimist. I know that things will go wrong, and I expect them to go wrong sometimes, but my long-term outlook is optimistic. I know that in the long run, things will all work out. It’s why I can’t get behind my wife’s constant worrying - I know that the kids will turn out fine and the house will be finished someday and we’ll always find a way to eat and stay warm no matter what happens. The sun rises every day and as long as I rise with it, everything is OK.
I’m very realistic now but still maintain a strong sense of optimism. I joke that when the eternal question is asked, “Is the glass half-empty or half-full” my answer is “Ooo! I got a glass!”
Good one! I usually say, “Half full? There is barely any gone!”
I am highly optimistic about my own life being happy and fulfilling; fairly optimistic about the immediate future of family, school, and community; quite pessimistic about our nation’s immediate ability to tackle debt, health care, and global warming; broadly optimistic about humanity’s long-term prospects; and completely optimistic about the saving power of Jesus Christ.
Oh, and why on earth is it that categories which get no votes still have a colored bar in the graph that you see after you vote? I’m not optimistic about that getting fixed.
are you crazy? how can anyone be optimistic with all the crap happening in the world today?!
Lets see: Wall street is totally gaming the market, the govt is letting them/helping them, 10% unemployment (and that doesn’t even count the people that have "dropped out of the labor market or are underemployed), there are f’ed up people doing f’ed up things to other people everywhere (rapist/serial killer in Cleveland and lets not even touch all the hideous things happening in Africa and the Middle East), it has about become impossible to have a decent political debate without it devolving into petty name calling on both sides, and that’s before I get into the personal hell hole I have allowed my life to become.
somedays I am not even sure why I bother getting out of bed.
My pessimistic has been proved again and again. When I am pessimistic I am never disappointed. The more you hope for, the more disappointed you are going to get. There are always glass ceilings, imposed by genetics, norms, culture, wealth, resources, social status and etc. War ravages. We find new ways to kill each other and the Earth.
Like is like being on board the Titanic. It’s not whether it will sink, but when, and there always won’t be enough lifeboats. Remember how optimistic the whole bunch were?
That said, I am so pessimistic about my pessimism that I only vote very.
Right, joy to be around me right? Well, alas I afraid this only applies to me. Somehow other people can be optimistic and get away with it. Not me. Depression doesn’t brook positive thinking. Things aren’t that bad, things could worse, things are looking up, but admit it, it is still bad. Just remember to smell the roses before they are gone. Life is a vain struggle for recognition, for meaning, for love, ultimately flawed and destined to doom. To live is to feel pain 80% of the time and joy 20%, but those 20% of the joyful times, according to Pareto’s laws, are enough for us to live. Living is like a gamble where the stakes aren’t high. It leads to more pain but at least you get to stay in the game. But who have the courage to fold?
Crap, I better stop ranting.
I’m still trying to figure out how I became the Pollyanna in my marriage. My husband has become the grumpy old man. I keep threatening to get him some black socks to go with his sandals, plus a brand new hose to spray teenagers off our lawn. Our roles seem to have flip-flopped. When we first met, I was the cynical one.
At work, I’m still cynical, but still fairly positive at the same time. I don’t know how that happened. I used to be compared to Karen from Will & Grace.
I voted “very optimistic”. I am 55 years old and I have been reading and hearing prophecies of doom my whole life. Yet in just about every way that matters to me*, life is better than it was a few years ago, and immensely better than it was when I was a child. I know it is easy to cite some things going on right now that are pretty bad, but overall I think things continue to get better and better.
- I don’t mean this in a selfish way. Most of the things I’m talking about don’t directly affect me.
I’d better be optimistic. We’re having a baby next month, and I hope he has a good life.
I was going to select completely pessimistic but I figured the option wouldn’t work.
And I prefer the term realistic. No matter how great or terrible a person you are things are going to end badly. The best you can hope for is a smile or two before some unpleasant personal stabs you to death with a rusted tire iron.
What’s for dinner?
Please. I’m begging for the end of the world on 2012
If not, screw it. Something else will come.
I put very pessimistic, but I’m another person who thinks the proper term is realistic. Pessimists spend their lives cleaning up optimists’ messes.
Hey at least you’re positive about that. 
Oh, and congrats, suranyi!
I try to be optimistic, but, if I’m feeling really bad, I can be a pessimist about that.