Why It Pays off to Be an Optimist

You probably wouldn’t guess this since I write about personal growth and investing, but I’m mostly a pessimist by nature. I had to force myself to adopt optimism as my main view on life, but I can always feel the pull of pessimism.

What does it even mean to be an optimist or pessimist? In the world of philosophy, an optimist is a person who believes that good ultimately prevails over evil and that our world is headed in the right direction.

A pessimist is exactly the opposite. Someone who thinks evil ultimately wins and that the world is doomed. It’s just a matter of time before we self-destruct.

I don’t think people are 100% one way or the other. Most of us have both optimistic and pessimistic tendencies. For example, a lot of people have a very dark view on the future of technology or the climate. Those same people might be optimistic when it comes to green energy or the ability to educate others through social media.

My favorite book and movie in my teens was Fight Club, a story about anarchy and fighting the status quo. The moment I saw it, I could instantly relate to the view that Chuck Palahniuk had about life. He talked about not caring about what other people say or do, making your own plans, not being afraid of destruction, and so forth. It’s a pretty dark story.