Pessimism Vs. Optimism

"Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will" - Antonio Gramsci.

When subjected to a glass half filled with water, pessimists are more likely to refer to it as a 'half empty glass', while optimists are more likely to refer to it as a 'half full glass'. This is just one of the several points of distinction between pessimism and optimism. They are two sides of the same coin, and excess of either in your life can spell disaster for you.

Whether pessimism and optimism are opposites of each other, has been a subject of debate lately. All this while, it was assumed that pessimists and optimists stand at loggerheads in terms of thought processing. However, more recent studies have proved otherwise. Going through the brief explanation of either of these concepts given below will help in making them more clear.

Pessimism

The term pessimism, derived from the Latin word for worst - pessimus, is defined as a state of mind, wherein a person's perception of life is predominantly marked by 'negativity'. These people feel that they are responsible for all the negative events happening to them. In simple words, pessimists are inclined towards highlighting the negativity in their life, while ignoring any positive signs they come across. As we mentioned in the example given above, a pessimist is more likely to refer to a glass half filled with water as 'half empty', (the negative side), instead of referring to it to as 'half full', (positive side).

Optimism

Optimism, on the other hand, is a totally opposite state of mind, wherein the person's perception about life is predominantly marked by 'positivity'. In psychology, optimism is defined as a state on mind in which a person tends to think that the chances of things working in his favor are much more than the chances of things working against him. Optimists tend to relate all the positive things in life with their own efforts. Their view is always inclined towards the brighter side of life. This explains why they refer to a half filled glass of water as 'half full' instead of 'half empty'.

Pessimism Vs. Optimism

The way in which we tend to reason plays a crucial role in determining our success. A pessimist is more likely to get depressed due to the occurrence of a negative event, which will automatically affect various aspects of his life, and eventually hamper his success.

When a pessimist has some good experience, there are more chances that he will overlook the same, as he won't be able to come to terms with reality that this good thing has happened to him because of his own efforts. On the other hand, when an optimist has some good experience it won't just make him happy, but will also bolster his efforts and contribute to his success. When it comes to bad experience though, the pessimist will hold himself responsible for the turn of events, which will again turn out to be a huge blow to his morale. The optimist on the other hand will ignore the bad experience as a once in a while affair, and this very fact will make him go in search of success with more determination and enthusiasm.

Another difference between pessimistic and optimistic individuals is the way they take a note of people's criticism. A pessimist is more likely to take positive criticism in a negative manner, and an optimist is more likely to take negative criticism in a positive manner. When called ugly, a pessimist will always assume that the view belongs to the whole world, while the optimist will dismiss it as an individual's opinion.

Though rare, in some cases, being pessimistic can be an advantage in itself, while being optimistic can be a disadvantage. For instance, a pessimist businessman is more likely to take the worst case scenario into consideration, and take some precautionary measures to make sure that he is not caught unaware of approaching disaster. An optimist businessman though is more likely to assume that nothing bad can happen to him, and continue being carefree, until trouble itself knocks on the door. This also highlights the fact that being over-optimist can spell trouble for you.

While that comparison may make you believe that pessimism and optimism are opposites of each other, experts think otherwise. Studies have also proved that having more of either doesn't necessarily mean you will have less of the other. This fact is also backed by their psychological definitions, which state that the factors responsible for both are completely different. Taking that into consideration, it would be safe to say that the key to happiness lies in the middle when it comes to the battle between these two.