You may say I’m a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.- John Lennon
I read a study yesterday that concluded that pessimists were actually happier than optimists.
The theory is that people with a pessimistic view of the world were less disappointed when their life plans were not reached than those that were optimistic. So, if neither group reached their life goals then the pessimists (who knew that they would not happen anyway) dealt with it better than the less successful optimists.
This theory is counterintuitive at best. So, in this strange case of reverse logic people are better off to assume the worst and realize that no matter what they do they will never reach their dreams?
Sorry Professor, I can’t live like that. I cannot go through life assuming that I am screwed from day one. I have to keep hope in my heart and wish for the best. Some days that is the only thing that gets me out of bed.
I have a naturally pessimistic streak. I struggle with it every day. With that being said, I know that I am far happier when I try and stay on a positive thought path. If I lived by the theory of the study, I, like many would fall into a very negative thought pattern.
But, I’ve seen far too many people overcome and prosper. I’ve seen too many people follow crazy dreams and succeed to ever say that it is better off to never dream of more. I refuse to accept less than the best that this world has to offer.
So, call me crazy….I’ll try and stay positive and get up each day with some hope in my heart. As they say in the military, FIDO*, for those faint of heart the acronym’s definition is at the bottom of this blog.
“All human beings are also dream beings.
Dreaming ties all mankind together.”
-Jack Kerouac
*FIDO- Military jargon for “Fuck it, drive on.”
