According to the first definition listed on the OED website, optimism is “the view or belief which assumes the ultimate predominance of good over evil,” to contrast with pessimism. That’s one way of putting it.
Most of my friends probably wouldn’t believe me if I told them that I wasn’t always the cheerful person that they know and love. I only figured out the value of optimism about three years ago, during my sophomore year of high school. I realized that I was happier when I started to take a positive attitude on the various events of my life rather than internalizing them and being fueled by negativity.
And yet, the way people have treated me in the past doesn’t reflect that joy that I feel. People say with disdain “You’re an optimist? How can you say you’re logical when you’re an optimist?” I remember one of my best friends telling me two years ago that being an optimist is unrealistic and I’d get over it when I got into “the real world.” For whatever reason, they don’t take me seriously because I tend to think on the bright side. I don’t understand that thought process.
In my life, I think of optimism as having a generally positive attitude, even (or maybe especially) when things are tough. It keeps me calm when I am panicked about some aspect ofmy life, whether about an essay that I procrastinated too long on or about my future career or after a long day of classes, meetings, and work. Even when I’m uncertain, I tend to imagine that things will work out because I believe they have to in the end. It seems unjust to suffer and end up miserable forever. In some respects, I think it’s a conscious decision whether or not you’re content.
I understand that I can’t use optimism to get myself hired for my dream job, but I can work hard, take risks and chase opportunities that might be beneficial to get me to that future job. I can’t know what will happen, but I can hope for the best. Since things aren’t always in my control to make things better, I take what I can get. I can choose how I feel about my life. I choose to look on the bright side.
I’m not trying to argue that being an optimist is easy. It’s not. I’m not perfect. I am a human being, therefore I am flawed. I call myself an optimist, but like any other person, I’m not happy constantly. Even as a positive person, I have bad days or certain topics that I am less certain of. Sometimes, it’s difficult for me to believe in my own philosophy.
Just like going out of your way to be friendly to strangers, I feel that optimism involves constantly reminding yourself that there is more than the negative emotions you feel in a moment or a period of your life. There is always something to treasure and to be happy about, though sometimes it can be difficult to find what that thing is. Whatever that may be, I think it is something worth remembering.