Pessimist vs Optimist

 Pessimist vs Optimist

The book I'm reading has a line, "just because a ship is sailing in still waters, doesn't mean it's headed toward an iceberg."  That line reminded me of an old joke my father told me.

"Two kids come home from school when they see a lot of horse shit on the living room floor. One kid says, "when Dad comes home he is going to blame me." The other kid says, "I think dad bought us a pony."

Living a life as a pessimist is bad for your happiness and your health. Living life as an optimist is much better and will minimize your stress. However, to the extreme, both can be bad. There is nothing wrong with looking over your shoulder. It's ok to not take everything at face value. It's ok to consider what could go wrong. It's not ok to think everyone is out to get you or something will always go wrong.

On the other hand, It's not ok to believe everything will be perfect. Being a total optimist won't let you see a crash coming at you. Being a total optimist won't help you plan for a "what if."

My dad was a pessimist. Who could blame him growing up through the depression years. My mom was a cock-eyed optimist. Probably why they got along. I was more pessimist growing up, but that changed when I became more secure within myself. It's hard to be an optimist when you're insecure.

Sooo, who are you? A more balanced life is a happy life. Extreme pessimist vs optimist life is an unhappy life.