Optimist or pessimist?
Chris Croft
★ Writer and Keynote Speaker, Project Management and Time Management, Negotiation Skills ~ UK-based
?Is it better to be an optimist or a pessimist??Or neither?
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Optimists?run the risk of being disappointed, but they have the two big advantages of being happier generally, and, because you tend to get what you expect, they are more likely to have ambitious goals and to achieve them.?Tests have shown that they are more likely to be successful in interviews, and elections.
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Pessimists?run the risk of not even trying to improve things ("What's the point?"), of having fewer friends, and being generally less lucky, but they do have advantages too:?they are more likely to have back-up plans, less likely to be disappointed, and, according to philosophy guru Alain De Botton, they are less likely to be?angry?(if you expect that person to pull out of the side turning and cut you up, and then they do, you just think "Ha!?I knew he'd do that!").
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What about being in the middle??Would you get the best of both (setting goals but having back up plans) or would you get the worst of both (not aiming high enough and being taken by surprise when things go wrong)?
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Well, I've got three answers for you to consider:
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One is to be a REALISTIC optimist or pessimist rather than an unrealistic one.
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For example, the unrealistic optimist would tend to think "Oh, everything will be fine, I don't need to check anything" and the cure for them is some realistic pessimism: "Something might happen, best to have a plan".
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The unrealistic pessimist would tend to think "I'm doomed, it'll never work" and their cure is to try a bit of realistic optimism: "OK it's difficult but what if it worked??I?can?take actions in order to succeed".
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The second approach, which can be combined with the first one, is to be an optimist about?yourself?and what you can achieve (I can do it, I'll aim high, I won't be put off by the occasional set back) and be a pessimist about?other people?(what will I do of they let me down??What if someone does something unexpected?)
?“Hope for the best, and expect the worst”
Finally, you could be an optimist at the START of projects: "Let's give this a go, it could work!" and then a pessimist DURING projects: "What might go wrong? Let's be ahead of every possible problem"
So there we are: onwards and possibly downwards but probably upwards
Chris
I am supporting the US Black Business Network, a Non-Profit with 501(c)(3) status that aims to increase business and housing ownership, educational attainment, intergenerational wealth and community cohesion,.
1 年Having spent many years working in Evidence Based Planning, if the data is telling you a pessimistic story, being an optimist and ignoring the data is unwise. Conversely, if the data is very positive, then why be pessimistic? My take on the question is it is important to understand why you take a particular view. If you go into an interview with the optimistic outlook that you are going to get the job, but you did not do any interview prep, you are unlikely to be successful. On the other hand, if like me, you see adversity as an opportunity, you might describe yourself as an optimist.
Smart Industrial Internet Solutions (SIIS)
1 年Hi Chris, I guess that, as an extreme optimist, my view is that the power of positive thinking can be infectious & carry a team to higher levels of achievement. Having said that, an amount of realism must be established. I find that certain language is often useful. Not saying“No”. Instead “Yes, but….”. As an example “Paul, can you take on this additional project?”…… “Yes, but looking at the size and complexity of this project, is it a higher business priority than the 4 I’m currently doing. If not, let’s park it or find someone less loaded. If it is, which of the other 4 should I park for now?” If the answer is “Just get on with it” it’s time to move on ??. However, not before bringing in the stakeholders of the other projects to let them know why all of their projects will now be delivered late ?? That often gets the senior gatekeepers talking & with luck, the one asking for the project gets it given back to them ??
Healthcare Professional !!
1 年Diplomatic is the best way
Brand Development I CX I Marketing management I Customer Care I Stakeholder Collaboration I Project management I
1 年I have to say realistic optimism- that’s how I look at things in life
Senior Client Advisor
1 年Winston CHURCHILL said : A pessimist sees a difficulty in each opportunity, an optimist sees an opportunity in each difficulty !