"Optimist" and "Optimistic" redirect here. For other uses, see Optimist (disambiguation), Optimistic (disambiguation), and Optimism (disambiguation).
Optimism is an attitude reflecting a belief or hope that the outcome of some specific endeavor, or outcomes in general, will be positive, favorable, and desirable. A common idiom used to illustrate optimism versus pessimism is a glass filled with water to the halfway point: an optimist is said to see the glass as half full, while a pessimist sees the glass as half empty.
The term derives from the Latin optimum, meaning "best". To be optimistic, in the typical sense of the word, is to expect the best possible outcome from any given situation.[1] This is usually referred to in psychology as dispositional optimism. It reflects a belief that future conditions will work out for the best.[2] As a trait, it fosters resilience in the face of stress.[3]
Theories of optimism include dispositional models and models of explanatory style. Methods to measure optimism have been developed within both of these theoretical approaches, such as various forms of the Life Orientation Test for the original dispositional definition of optimism and the Attributional Style Questionnaire designed to test optimism in terms of explanatory style.
Variation in optimism between people is somewhat heritable[4] and reflects biological trait systems to some degree.[clarification needed][5] A person's optimism is also influenced by environmental factors, including family environment,[4] and may be learnable.[6][page needed] Optimism may also be related to health.[7]
^"optimism". Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
^"Definition of optimism in English". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on 2014-06-06.
^Weiten, Wayne; Lloyd, Margaret (2005). Psychology Applied to Modern Life: Adjustment in the 21st Century. Belmont, Calif.: Thomson Wadsworth. pp. 96. ISBN 978-0534608590.
^ abBates, Timothy C. (25 February 2015). "The glass is half full and half empty: A population-representative twin study testing if optimism and pessimism are distinct systems". The Journal of Positive Psychology. 10 (6): 533–542. doi:10.1080/17439760.2015.1015155. PMC 4637169. PMID 26561494.
^Sharot, Tali (December 2011). "The optimism bias". Current Biology. 21 (23): R941–R945. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2011.10.030. PMID 22153158.
^Vaughan, Susan C. (2000). Half Empty, Half Full: Understanding the Psychological Roots of Optimism. New York: Harcourt. ISBN 0151004013.
^Ron Gutman: The hidden power of smiling on YouTube
Optimism is an attitude reflecting a belief or hope that the outcome of some specific endeavor, or outcomes in general, will be positive, favorable, and...
Radical Optimism is the third studio album by English-Albanian singer Dua Lipa, released on 3 May 2024 by Warner Records. It is her first full-length studio...
negative event. It is also known as delusional optimism, unrealistic optimism or comparative optimism. Optimism bias is common and transcends gender, ethnicity...
All for the Best (1759); Candide: or, The Optimist (1762); and Candide: Optimism (1947). It begins with a young man, Candide, who is living a sheltered...
optimism is the idea in positive psychology that a talent for joy, like any other, can be cultivated. In contrast with learned helplessness, optimism...
Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that examines the basic structure of reality. It is often characterized as first philosophy, implying that it is...
"USDC to be available on 15 blockchains after adding 6—including Base, Optimism, and Polygon PoS—over next 2 months". Fortune. Retrieved 28 February 2024...
Earth Optimism is a movement promoting a positive outlook towards problems related to environmental or climate issues. Earth Optimism provides an alternative...
Norem, J.K. (2001). Defensive pessimism, optimism, and pessimism[dead link]. In Chang, Edward (Ed). Optimism & pessimism: Implication for theory, research...
scientific realism, particularly the scientific realist's notion of epistemic optimism. The pessimistic meta-induction is the argument that if past successful...
withdraw after garnering insufficient support. She is a founder of the Global Optimism group, co-author of The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis...
A technological fix, technical fix, technological shortcut or (techno-)solutionism refers to attempts to use engineering or technology to solve a problem...
Effort optimism is the confidence that acquiring the skills valued by the majority of society, such as those skills measured by IQ tests, ACT, and SATs...
February 2024, as the second single from her third studio album, Radical Optimism (2024). Lipa premiered the song at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards before...
and Communist dictatorships and the world wars – caused many to abandon optimism. The Holocaust, as Theodor Adorno underlined, seemed to shatter the ideal...
King" (1891) The Story of My Life (1903) Optimism: an essay (1903) T. Y. Crowell and company My Key of Life: Optimism (1904), Isbister The World I Live In...
has escalated dramatically, and the project is well behind schedule. The initial low cost forecasts for these megaprojects exhibited "optimism bias"....
kuya (older brother) or ate (older sister). Other Filipino values are optimism about the future, pessimism about the present, concern about other people...
resiliency, and optimism. The term "PCQ" refers to the 24 specific questions used to measure hope, efficacy, resiliency, and optimism. Psychological Capital...
Optimism Monthly was a Czech not-for-profit literary magazine, which from 1995 to 2009 published poetry, prose, and art by Prague-based and international...
Buddhism". Ronald Davidson is a proponent of this position. "Cautious optimism in this respect". Proponents of this position include J.W. de Jong, Johannes...
Cosmic Autumn Rebellion (The Inner Life as Blazing Shield of Defiance and Optimism as Celestial Spear of Action)" 4:48 5. "Vein of Stars" 4:15 6. "The Wizard...
Event frequency accounts for a proportion of prior findings of comparative optimism. People think common events (such as living past 70) are more likely to...