What prevents us from being optimists?

[lukejoo1092]

You probably have been told over and over again to be optimistic. However, most of the time, we end up being pessimists. Why do you think that even though we know being optimistic is a good thing we tend to be pessimistic?

I think it's because the majority is already pessimistic. Around us we see people who complain and mourn all the time. There's nothing strange to think why wouldn't we do the same. Either consciously or unconsciously, we tend to follow what the people around us do.

[linnie]

I agree with you Luke. But to add things more, human naturally wants more. They are greedy, they want something endlessly. So even though they already have what they want, they can't satisfy since they are greedy and want more. I think most people are like that and that is why there is saying Be Satisfied With What You Have. It is really true, and it helps you to have better, easier and unstressed life but most people fail at it and look at things they don't have. When you lose what you already have, that is when people regret and think that they should have been happy to have those things.

I believe there can be lot of other reasons but I think the major reason is people's nature. We all want more and more even though we have enough, right?

[woojongpark]

I think our expectations block us from being optimistic. This happens to me occasionally. When I get an important homework or a project, I think I should make the best project ever. But if my outcome turns out not like what I've expected, I become pessimistic very quickly. If this process is repeated several times, next time I don't even have high hopes about what I do. Sometimes I think we need to be focused on the process of work, not the outcome. That way we can be more optimistic.

[jisu25]

In everyone's mind there is a place where people desire to think of the worst possible outcome. People always see towards the area where they feel unsafe. When you are in despair, all you can think is pessimistic thoughts.

[jooyoungpark]

As life goes on, sometimes there are obstacles that are just too much for you to handle. And these obstacles sometimes brings them to despair, and ends up in them "giving up" as in suicide. The belief of all pain ending, and giving up the pain is the result of failing to overcome obstacles. I believe that sometimes, one just can not be optimistic in some situations, some situations are just too much for them.

[ruru]

me

[deeksha]

Ruchiiiiiiiiii it's u yeahhhh!!!! haha lOl

[brandonina]

I agree with the point that humans are naturally pessimistic and there are obstacles that prevent them from being optimistic. But I believe that there are some people who take those obstacles too seriously. I really have nothing to say about this because I'm one of those people who get pessimistic very quickly at small little things. But, I mean, guys, we're teenagers and we have like at least 50 years of life left, which we're going to face millions of obstacles that are going to get more difficult to deal with. And it's really sad, I mean, that some of us are already pessimistic, especially at trivial things. But again, I'm not an optimistic person so I have nothing to say. At the end of the day, though, I want to work on being optimistic in daily basis so I can enjoy my life and overcome those obstacles that I face.

[nadiraamalina]

I think it's because we're teenagers and it's 'cool' to think that everything sucks. Teenagers tend to want to separate themselves from childish behavior, and one thing that children always do is be happy and enthusiastic. When they're not crying, of course. So I agree with what most people here say, that we are only pessimistic because we are surrounded by other pessimists.
I could connect this to that Ralph Waldo Emerson quote where it's really easy to be a transcendentalist when you are alone, but not so easy when surrounded with a lot of people.

[akari]

i agree with you but i dont think to be optimistic is always good thing. i think it depends.

[misatonakano]

I agree with you.

[sorn]

Human are selfish, we want what we want, we do what we want to do. But the society is not letter us do what we want to do. Society is limiting us and the majority is telling us who we have to be and what we have to do because we don't want to become a freak. There are standards which is increasing everyday, making people have to work harder to get to that point because human naturally desire for more.

[jungholee]

yup, i agree about that idea. I think if you want to satisfy your greed, you should be selfish, and it leads to pessimistic directly. It's not the person's fault, it's just natural thing to us, our society just leading people to be winner which leads to the selfish. (not only for the grade ;D)

[sergeyfen]

i agree with you, i think each person has more pessimstic characteristics than optimistic traits, but many people tend to overcome that down side of us. People tend to always whine and cry about things that we dont get, its just how people are and the only way to solve it is just try to act as positive as possible.

[ExtremelyExtremeExtremist]

It is a human nature to focus on negative part rather than focusing on positive part. I think we tend to be pessimistic because we have seen too many negative outcomes. For example, let¡¯s say there is a poem memorization tomorrow. People will practice it and believe that their hard work will guarantee success on speech. But majority end up forgetting lines and being afraid, eventually ruining the final work. And when they look at other¡¯s work, they realize that majority didn¡¯t do well.

Another example:
There is a test tomorrow and we studied so much that we know everything. But on the test day, questions that we have never seen before appeared and we failed.

In the end, we believe that final work will be crappy.