It’s day 6 of Optimism/Pessimism week at the NDD

Is your pessimism actually cowardice in disguise?  It makes sense,  since we don’t really like to face our weaknesses, nor even acknowledge we have them in many cases, that we would build a world view that turns our personal feelings of impotence, incompetence and inadequacy into ‘it’s just the way it is’. Pessimism becomes that world view.  You expect failure, disappointment, calamity, dissatisfaction and any other number of negative outcomes because ‘it’s just the way it is’.

That response is much easier than saying there is something wrong with me that I could change if I set my mind to it.  It’s easier than saying there are major problems in the world and I am going to do something about them.  It’s easier than saying I can see through the bad things to the great things that can come from them.  It’s easier than the hard work of making something happen for yourself, your business, your family.

Pessimism is laying the circumstances of your life at someone else’s door.  It might be God’s door. It might be society’s door. It might be science’s door. But it isn’t your door.  Optimism is realizing your circumstances are at your own door, taking them in and doing something with them.

Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman, chronic optimist.

Quote by Bernard De Voto, 1897-1955, American historian and author. They say he was pugnacious.