Optimism is absolutely a double-edged sword. It can keep you motivated during difficult tasks, make you a better/more positive teammate, and encourage you to look for the better ways of doing things that optimists, by definition, believe to exist.<p>On the other hand, it's also the reason behind most of my missed deadlines ("Oh yeah I can do that in a week, no problem"), burnout ("I've got nights and weekends, I can take on this project"), and disappointing/unrealistic projections ("I don't want to slow myself down with research, I KNOW people are going to love this product").<p>In my previous role, I was paired up with a developer whose natural tendencies were to pessimistically look upon each new feature request like a minefield. Having someone to negate the negative aspects of my optimism was a godsend, and we had one of the most productive working relationships I've ever had. I would unfairly get a lot of the credit for my positive, can-do attitude, but I've never forgotten the benefits of having a healthy dose of skepticism on a team, nor the absolute havoc that an unchecked optimist (like myself) can cause.
I'm sure it can be. But right now, I DGAF. I'm tired of all the negativity and pessimism, and would welcome a big ole healthy dose of optimism from somewhere. Here lately it seems like everywhere you turn it's just somebody screaming about how bad things are and complaining about something.<p>And yeah, the world we live in <i>is</i> pretty fucked up in plenty of regards. But not in every regard. And while I don't advocate going full-on nihilist, there's something to be said for striving for a little balance, and embracing a little bit of that "screw it, let's just dance, drink, listen to music, fuck, do drugs, and have some FUN while we're here" mindset.<p>I'm reminded of a line from the Motley Crue movie, where Vince Neil says "I'm sick and tired of not having any fun!"<p>Life is for the living... let's have some optimism, and have some fun. We can save the manatees, fix the environment, etc., without being a bunch of miserable sodding wankers in the process.
Well sure, if you're blindly optimistic, you'll have problems.<p>The thing about optimism is that if you believe there is a solution, you'll keep working until you find it. If you're pessimistic, you're more likely to give up if there solution isn't obvious. Successful people are often optimistic because it's useful.<p>Don't assume that everything will work out, assume that there are solutions to every problem you face. Even when there aren't solutions, searching gives far more meaning to life than complacency.<p>There's certainly value in stoicism, but I think optimism results in the best quality of life. Which you choose should be based on your personality and what brings you satisfaction (contentedness vs achievement).
Frankl in Man's search for meaning writes that in Nazi concentration camps "Some men lost all hope, but it was the incorrigible optimists who were the most irritating companions."<p>Seems like acc to Dr. Frankl incorrigible pessimists are better companions than incorrigible optimists.
If you want to really dive into hope/optimism you should read Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy's entry about Hope[1].<p><a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hope/" rel="nofollow">https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hope/</a>
Stoic ideas have completely changed how I look at the world. Anxiety has plummeted. Interesting to see someone I admire espousing such thinking. I seriously doubt it'll get any traction in the current climate.
This is succinctly mentioned in Vedic Philosophy -
Do your actions as a offering, be detached from results of your action, live a life of purpose. The battlefield discourse of Bhagavad Gita by Stephen Mitchell is a good intro.
Stoicists will find many good nuggets in the Yoga of Action discourse.
I heard this a while ago:- An eternal optimist is someone who while falling from a 50 floor building, when he reaches the 30th floor thinks I still have 29 more floors to go.<p>Optimism combined with incorporating feedback from brutally honest people works for me.
> <i>Most self-help books would suggest that you can fight life’s currents with determination and positive thinking.</i><p>What the..‽ Show me one. Just one.
There is never anything wrong with being relentlessly optimistic/positive because not reaching your optimistic/positive objectives never matters!<p>Note: I did not read the article.