The optimist tries to learn from mistakes and troubles, and mistakes make the optimist more hardy and capable with dealing with stress. Of course, optimism can be taken to a ridiculous extreme. It is silly to say that it is always 'for the best in the best of all possible worlds,' like Professor Pangloss from Candide. When a loved one passes away from cancer, this is not 'for the best,' and the optimist still feels pain. However, the optimist says that no experience is purely for the worst, and at least powerful lessons can be learned form the experience about always living life to the fullest, and the positive outlook that their loved one was able to have, even at the end. A pessimist simply looks at the sky and wails 'why me, why must terrible things happen,' without realizing that death is inevitable for everyone, and it is incumbent upon all human beings to take positive lessons from life, both the good and the bad.

Scientific studies indicate that pessimism can be hazardous to human health: studies have found that patients recovering from coronary artery surgery who expected a positive outcome and had an optimistic outlook recovered more quickly than patients who did not (Weil 2004). Optimism also seems to lowers the risk of heart disease in general (Weil 2004). This may be due to the hormonal surge of endorphins happiness brings -- or simply that the viewpoint of an optimist promotes health. A pessimist may say 'there is nothing I can do about my weight' while an optimist will vow to reform his or her eating habits and lifestyle, thinking 'change is possible.' These are examples of how a person's mood can create their...

The fact that an African-American is assuming the presidency is testimony to the fact that optimistic faith in possibility and change can have substantial rewards. Unless you vow 'yes I can' -- you never will. If you say 'I cannot,' than indeed you cannot, because you will not. Sheer will alone cannot make things happen, but it can do a great deal.
All a cynical pessimist gains from his or her behavior is the bitter satisfaction of being right when things go wrong -- and what value is in that? The question people should ask themselves is not who is right more often than not, the optimist or the pessimist, but whose life they would prefer to lead. An optimistic life is happier. An optimist experiences more personal growth and development. An optimist's life is a more challenging and a riskier life but a more fulfilling life. Trying to anticipate road blocks, and finding reasons not to do things is counterproductive, and creates an unhealthy life of gloom.

Works Cited

Optimist." The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. 4th Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003. January 20, 2009. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/optimist

Pessimist." The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. 4th Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003. January 20, 2009. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pessimist

Weil, Andrew. "Are optimists healthier?" Dr. Weil Q&a. February 19, 2004. January 20, 2009. http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA326513