Optimistic people are often defined as individuals who see the glass as half full, while pessimists see the glass half empty.
This popular analogy is used to show how an optimistic person views the world.
Essentially, optimism is a type of positive thinking that includes believing that you are responsible for your own happiness. Often optimism is thought to be a trivial or frivolous attribute. You have probably head optimists described as “seeing the world through rose-colored glasses. “
One definition of optimism states that it is the tendency to believe that an individual will typically experience more good outcomes than bad outcomes during their life. This means that optimistic people look on the bright side. No matter what happens to them, they see the positive side of it. Pessimists are basically the opposite of that.
Examples of Optimism versus Pessimism
There are many examples of optimism and pessimism found in your everyday life. Chances are you have both optimistic and pessimistic friends. For example, you may have a friend who just got dumped. A pessimistic person will think that the break up is all his or her fault and may even become depressed about it. The optimistic person will typically not blame him or herself for the break up and will simply look at the relationship, as it was not meant to be. They will also have an easier time moving on, because they will naturally assume there must be someone else out there for them.
Another example of optimism versus pessimism could occur when you are dining with your friends. When you are out, both you and your friend order a drink. The waiter brings the drinks and they are not full. A pessimistic friend will complain that there is not enough soda in the cup and may even confront the waiter. A more optimistic person will simply look at the cup and say that it is enough to get through the first part of the meal.
Essentially, how we react to different things that occur in our lives is developed during childhood and lasts for a lifetime. A person who is pessimistic assumes that when things go wrong they always will. A person who has an optimistic approach thinks that things that will get better. Most people are a mix of being both pessimistic and optimistic at different points in their life and this can vary day by day even.