At a job interview I was asked to explain if I was an optimistic or a pessimistic person. The title of this post was my answer, let me explain you why.
A pessimistic person tends to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen. A pessimistic is consumed by disgust and overwelmed by his or her grim scenarios. Even worse, negativity is contagious and destroys the team’s motivation.
An optimistic person is hopeful and confident about the future. For the optimistic everything is fine. Tomorrow will be better than today, since the optimistic has a plan to improve it, and everything always goes according to plan.
The realistic is objective and has a practical idea of what can be achieved or expected. The realistic has no dreams, no hopes, only data and mathematical forecasts.
Therefore I’m an optimistic realistic – I’m a realistic that dares to dream, to hope, to be utopic. I dream what would a perfect world look like. I dream what could be better. And then the realistic part of me comes in and assesses if that is possible, realistic. And if it’s not feasible, this realistic doesn’t give up yet. It’s not the dream that it’s wrong, it’s the reality! It’s the reality that must change to welcome the dream. And the optimistic realistic finds a way.
Without optimistic realistics that dare to dream and to hope, the status quo would never change. What are you waiting for?
