My pessimistic optimistic life
I hate optimists. A particular dislike is when one of my cyclist friends says, “Only one more hill!” when there are three more. Or “Only ten more miles!” when in fact there are twenty.
Yet pessimists who think nothing can ever be changed for the better are also irritating.
I prefer to take an optimistic/pessimistic approach, which seems particularly relevant given the current coronavirus threat. The optimist says the risks from the virus are small and everything should be fine. The pessimist understands the risks are much higher than any other threat we have faced recently. What’s the right thing to do? I say embrace both.
Let me explain. I cannot help but be optimistic. Given a set of circumstances like those in which we find ourselves I will always think there is an opportunity. My own business is in the oil and gas industry and although we are unlikely to be very helpful in the medical field, when this is all over we have a real opportunity to sort out our road pothole problem. We will investigate the area quickly and move on to something else if it isn’t as appealing as I think. Interested? Contact me to discuss further.
At the same time as planning for a positive outcome, it is also essential to plan for the worst. Using driving as an analogy, when in my car I like to control the distance in front and behind my car to minimise the chances of an accident. Although I am optimistic I can control my car under most circumstances I remain pessimistic about the possibility of mistakes, made either by other drivers or by me.
So how does my optimistic/pessimistic approach work in the current circumstances? At the moment my business is almost completely maxed out with work – but we have plans in place for any downturn. As a fit and healthy person I think my chances of surviving the virus are good – but I am still taking all measures to stay safe and well. And making sure my will is up to date!
To my mind there is nothing incompatible between optimism and pessimism – just don’t give me one without the other.