4 misconceptions about optimism (and the harsh reality)
No one can doubt that optimism, in some situations, can be a key to success in some aspect of our lives. However, We live in times when the obsession with happiness makes many people think that optimism is everything..
Being optimistic has its advantages, but as long as it is in tune with the environment and the reality in which we move. Like everything in this life, both excess and lack of optimism are negative.
- Related article: "125 short positive phrases to live your day to day with optimism"
How is an optimistic person
Each person has their own peculiarities and, obviously, being a pessimist is not a good thing. In fact, people who are sensible and objective, and are also optimistic, can consider themselves advantageous.
Optimists are people who look at the positive side of things instead of spending the whole day lamenting, that they do not care how many times they fall, because from each experience they learn positives. Now, the optimist is not the person who always has a smile on his face despite adversities, but is one with high self-confidence and is realistic with the environment that wraps up.
But, How are optimistic people? These types of individuals present a series of characteristics:
They see in failures opportunities for growth and learning. Falling down means getting up.
They do not deceive themselves, but have a great capacity for self-reflection and are honest with themselves.
They are objective and realistic people, so they always try to be sensible and consistent in their actions.
They have good self-esteem and value themselves positively.
They do not compare themselves with others, because they have found inner peace.
They have a great capacity for self-motivation despite the obstacles that come their way.
They fight for what they want and for their own dreams.
They live in the here and now and enjoy the present.
They are emotionally intelligent.
If you want to know more about these features, you can read our article: “11 characteristics of optimistic people”
False beliefs about optimism
While being optimistic is beneficial, some people may have false beliefs about this positive mindset.
1. being optimistic will make you happy
Happiness depends on many factors, and to think that simply by adopting a positive mentality and being optimistic everything will go smoothly is a mistake.. Optimism is not something that is imposed on oneself, but is a way of thinking and behaving that has a lot to do they are the level of self-confidence that a person has and how it relates to the events that occur around it.
Optimism is not looking the other way when negative things happen, but rather facing reality as it is and accepting it. Once accepted, it is to get moving and work step by step to achieve what you want.
2. Optimism is an attitude
Optimism is not something that an individual can impose on themselves, and as I said, it has to do with building a strong personality and being a realistic person who is confident in themselves. It is not about seeing life in a rosy color and living oblivious to problems. It's about analyzing and accepting them. To observe and emotionally detach from some unpleasant situations.
It is about looking to the future, but always with your feet on the ground. Optimism is not living in irrational expectations. It is seeing things as they are and learning from them. Optimistic people also fail, but they understand that failures are a part of life.
3. Problems are solved with optimism
Optimism by itself does not solve problems. It can motivate us to get ahead, but we also have to do our part so that everything goes as we wish.. Therefore, self-confidence is key in this sense, because it is a psychological variable that makes reference to the perception of the abilities and resources that we have when carrying out some task. Believing in yourself does solve problems, not optimism alone.
- Related article: "Albert Bandura's Self-efficacy: do you believe in yourself?"
4. You can be optimistic all the time
Thinking that you can be optimistic all the time and live with a smile on your face all the time is somewhat unrealistic, and in this case we would be talking about false optimism. As the humanistic psychologist said abraham maslow, "False optimism, sooner or later, disappoints, angers and despairs."
False optimism has to do with low self-esteem and an attempt to hide the insecurity one feels. In fact, false optimists do not achieve the goals they set, because they are not realistic. In the long run, and as Maslow explains, false optimism ends up frustrating the person.
In short, people with false optimism:
They don't value themselves
they are not self-motivated
They do not live in the here and now and do not connect with themselves
They are not honest with themselves
they are not realistic
False optimism is just as bad as pessimism. If you want to know more about this, you can read our article: “False optimism: what is it and what are its negative effects?”