I am an optimist although I also expect the worst. I mean I am hopeful but also prepared but on the whole I would say that makes me an optimist.

I suppose I'm a bit of both really...depending on what kind of mood I'm in

Maybe I'm long term optimistic, and short term pessimistic. I mean I'm hopeful for the future, but in the here and now, I could be sort of like...frustrated with things, inanimate, a bit lazy, bemoaning my situation.

I'm a bit out of balance I think I need to get things going and keep them going instead of looking into the distant future, if you know what I mean.

Optimistic about how I go down life's path and my outlook,pessimistic about what I expect from others,so things balance out,if situations turn out better than I think they will that makes a happy person in that moment.

But mostly pessimistic about world events,and things that may come to pass,being realistic about things,it looks like a rough road.

I'm a bit of both, too. Sometimes it all depends on how I'm feeling about life in general. I tend to be a bit of an idealist and daydreamer, and can get quite down if things don't measure up to how I think they ought to be - less so, though, as I get older and am learning that life can be very unfair and often that's just how it is!

Mandy

It depends on the specific topic I suppose.
I'm optimistic about my own future to a certain extent but pessimistic about mankind in general for example.
One scenario I am in control of, the other I am not.

I'm sometimes both, depending on mood, and also a realist on occasion.

I consider myself to be entirely realistic and objective. People often mistake this for pessimism.

wake_up_bomb wrote:
That's true - I nearly put that in my post too.

optimist. i mean, how can things get any worse?

I'm pessimistic about the quality of life for future generations because people generally are too apathetic to be bothered to rise up and say "No!" to greedy bastards.

I'm a realist, which means I come across as pessimistic. I tend to find that when I feel positive things end up turning out even worse than I could ever believe they could. Pessimism is a great cure for disappointment, if you don't believe things will turn out really well then you can never be disappointed and if they turn out well and you think they wont you are pleasantly surprised.

I didn`t think this had any replies until I just looked.
Thank you for those responses.
Here is Robert Anton Wilson on the subject.