Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimbuna
Positivity is always better than negativity.
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No, realism.
Several empiric studies of the past 30 years or so show that if you compare claimed pessimists with claimed optimists, pessimists are the greater acchievers, being successful in greater numbers. this is because they tend to prepare better.
Of course, it already starts with whom and how and why you label somebody as "pessimist" and "optimist". For an euphoric optimist, everybody not agreeing with his optimism for realistic concerns, is already "pessimistic", a party-pooper. Most people in our entertainment and feel-well society are relatively optimistic, and since there are so many of these, you get accordingly many claims about somebody being a pessimist. Pessimists that indeed are just sober realists.
Realism leads to solid assessment and - at least by tendency, depending on other factors as well, like education, access to information and so forth - more reasonable decisions. Both increase the chance for success or achievement, however the individual may define "success" and "achievement" differently, some do it by money, others by other life qualities, like free time to spend for things you
really are interested in, for example. Since so many realists thus get labelled as pessimists, this may explain the findings of such researches that more pessimists than optimists are "successful".
I am notoriously got claimed to be a pessimist, but I do not see myself as one, but as a realist. And I found a balance and a way to enjoy my life quite well, despite detoriating health issues, and anger on the world ways of goings and poltics
, and lack of monuments and companies build who carry my name. The most important currency in our lives, is time, and there are no additional deposits and no returns. There is nothing wrong in being extremely choosey regarding what you pay for with these limited resources of time that you have. Its more precious than money, fame, reputation - more precious than anything.