Tuesday 6 March 2018

Optimism - "The New Black"

Are you a glass half full or a glass half empty person?

It is fascinating that two people from identical backgrounds may look at the 50% filled container and describe it in a different way.

It is perhaps concerning that immediate and defining judgements are made depending upon if they say “half full” or “half empty”.

One will be held out to be a positive and optimistic go getter and the other as a down cast pessimist.

Is that fair?

Consider this:

What if the glass contained that most disgusting liquid required to be consumed for a medical test. You may even have consumed that chalky gag inducing concoction the day before “that test”.

All of a sudden, looking at the glass as being half empty is a far more optimistic outlook than describing at being half full.

When asked the question as to if we are a glass half full or half empty person, maybe we should first determine what is in the glass.

There seems to be pressure for us to be seen as optimistic and to be of a positive disposition.

The usual catch phrases are rolled out. It’s an opportunity not a problem or out of every thunderstorm comes a rainbow.

Perhaps my favourite is, if it doesn’t kill you it makes you stronger implying there is no space between death and not death, but I digress.

Look at your connections on Instagram and see how many posts depict a negative situation. We are forever feeling the expectation of presenting ourselves as optimistic and positive.

What does being optimistic really mean?

I have landed on optimism as being a belief there is a viable and meaningful solution to every situation that arises.

And it doesn’t matter if the solution is to empty the remaining contents of the glass or to top it up, it is simply a belief that a solution exists and you can contribute to determining what it is.
Optimism is not "The New Black" but it just may be the same old "Green" (or blue, purple, yellow or red)

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