Are you a pessimist or an optimist?

[Gabu]

I’m a pessimist, but it doesn’t work that way for me, I give it my all while saying “it isn’t going to work.”  You see, I don’t think all positive things are impossible or whatever, just that I won’t be able to do them because of my general bad luck.  Once I convince myself that it is going to go badly, things can either a) go exactly how I knew they would, or b) surprise me in a good way.  I find that this way I’m always being pleasantly surprised, and I’m more happy most of the time

That sounds more like simply being realistic and not proclaiming victory before it's happened, which is basically how I am.  If you're a true pessimist, you genuinely believe that there is no hope, and thus it logically follows that you shouldn't even bother.

[John Dibble]

I'm an optimistic realist. I hope for and work for the best, but I realize the best won't necessarily always occur. Pessimism is defeating, and pessimists are less likely to get things done because they're already expecting the worst and are unlikely to work for a better outcome, though being too optimistic can result in the same thing since you might expect the good outcome without having to work for it. That's why having your feet on the ground and realizing that you need to be active in the process will generally have the best results.

"I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it." - Thomas Jefferson

[Democratic Hawk]

Optimist. Have been since 1997

Dave

[opebo]

"I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it." - Thomas Jefferson

That is an hilarious quote coming from a land-owning aristocrat!

Optimist. Have been since 1997

I'm curious, what happened in 1997?  Some new prescription drug?

[minionofmidas]

"I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it." - Thomas Jefferson

That is an hilarious quote coming from a land-owning aristocrat!

Optimist. Have been since 1997

I'm curious, what happened in 1997?  Some new prescription drug?

but I think he was referring to the elections in the UK that year.

[John Dibble]

"I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it." - Thomas Jefferson

That is an hilarious quote coming from a land-owning aristocrat!

Even rich people can profit from working hard. Take Bill Gates for instance - sure, he wasn't exactly born into poverty, but he took initiative in developing the BASIC programming language(took 8 weeks, partnered with Paul Allen), went on and worked from there and is now the wealthiest man on the planet. If he instead had been a useless layabout such as yourshelf his wealth would not have increased much, if at all.

[Rin-chan]

I'm an optimist. I tend to try and see the good in myself and in other people.

Me, too.

Though, when it's that time of the month...  it's more like, "Look at me like that again and I'll kill you."  There's no bright side then... (I know Fezzy is going to tell me I never say that, and I don't, but variations of it repeat over and over in my head when I have PMS)

Rin-chan