Pessimism vs Optimism?

Pessimistic people, I believe, think they are being realists. They need to see the world as it is. It makes them uncomfortable to lie to themselves or have others lie to them. It may be hard for them to follow social niceties, because they see that as a form of lying. They believe they can’t solve either the world’s problems or personal problems unless they are brutally honest about what is going on. Often times, they are very critical of themselves. Maybe too much. They may have difficulty with compliments, because they think that complimenters are optimists, and optimists lie.

Optimists use positive thinking as a way to build up their confidence and happiness. It helps them achieve their goals. They seem to resent people who are not chipper and happy, and sometimes they blame the unhappy people for bringing it on themselves. They seem to overlook inconvenient truths. They are pollyanaish. They always look on the bright side. They believe this helps them succeed at things because believing success is possible is crucial to creating success.

What’s your take on pessimists and optimists? If you had to choose a camp, which one are you in?