Thoughts on Optimism, Pessimism and Fear
In Will Smith’s 2013 movie After Earth his character distinguishes the difference between Danger and Fear;”Fear is an illusion, Danger is real. ” In physically demanding collision/impact sports the most prevalent characteristic between the great athletes and the average ones is usually the ability to overcome the fear of hurting yourself. Fear directly affects your relationships particularly the one with your sense of self, imagine the difficulty of not being able to trust yourself let alone another person. The level of trust that exist when in a partnership needs to be solid in order to be successful this foundation is built on integrity, introspection and a healthy dose of self respect.
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I’ve always described myself as a realist with the heart of an eternal optimist. There is no doubt that the majority of my life decisions have been led with my heart it is my greatest strength and sometimes exploited weakness. The concept of “learned pessimism” is something I deeply agree with and a skill I’ve learned even though it doesn’t come natural. Optimism and pessimism are two different sides of the same coin, understanding this enables us to better understand and perceive the situations and circumstances we find ourselves in, as a result we learn more about our individual human qualities, would even go so far to say a greater appreciation for life. One of my favorite quotes was said by the entertainment and cultural icon Frank Sinatra, when he said “Confidence is king”. This Forbes article by Travis Bradberry is a good summary of the characteristics that embody this attitude.
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General Definition of Optimism
A mental attitude or world view that interprets situations and events as being best (optimized), so that in some way that may not be fully comprehended the present moment is in an optimum state. The concept is extended to include the hope that future conditions will unfold as optimal.[1]
The Concept of Pessimism
It’s a state of mind in which one anticipates undesirable outcomes or believes that the evil or hardships in life outweigh the good or luxuries. Value judgments may vary dramatically between individuals, even when judgments of fact are undisputed.
The Idea of Fear
As an emotion induced by a threat perceived by living entities, which causes a change in brain and organ function and ultimately a change in behavior, such as running away, hiding or freezing from traumatic events. Fear may occur in response to a specific stimulus happening in the present, or to a future situation, which is perceived as risk to health or life, status, power, security, or in the case of humans wealth or anything held valuable. The fear response arises from the perception of danger leading to confrontation with or escape from/avoiding the threat (also known as the fight-or-flight response).
Some links are via Wikipedia, this post may augment some of the thoughts and ideas expressed.