they were talking about a wide-eyed, naïve, country-bumpkin type that con-
jures up images of Gomer Pyle saying, “Why Gooollllyy, Sarge, ain’t that
great!”
I have heard the pseudo-intellectual describe the state of optimism as
being in a place outside of the great circle of knowledge, as if the attitude
of optimism could only be held by the uninformed. I have come to the con-
clusion that the words optimismand pessimismhave evolved through usage
to a place where many no longer have a clear comprehension of their mean-
ings. The definitions of words do evolve over time—some for good and
some for bad. For example, the word adultused to mean mature, and now it
represents pornographic content. I think the same thing has happened to
the word optimism,which for some has gained the undeserved connotation
of “not being realistic.” On the flip side, the word pessimismhas garnered
undeserved credibility.
To give clarity to both words, allow me to define them by their etymo-
logical root. The word pessimisticmeans to be hopelessand the word optimistic
means to be hopeful.These two views are not about being “realistic about
what is going to happen” vs. “looking at the situation through rose-colored
glasses.” These two views are about looking at any and every situation with
an attitude of hope versus an attitude of despair or hopelessness.
Pessimism doesn’t simply look at a glass of water as being half empty. It
looks at a glass of water as being foul and declares, “It’s surely contami-
nated and good for nothing.” The optimist doesn’t simply look at a glass of
water as being half full but sees the potential in the water to nourish a plant,
quench thirst, make ice, or produce hydrogen. The two words are nothing
more than a dichotomous play on the word hope.
Skepticism is healthy but, when overused, can soon segue into a slip-
pery slope that drains into a cesspool of cynicism. I have met more than a
few rusty and crusty sales professionals who were careless about protecting
their attitude and went down the slope from skepticism to pessimism to
cynicism, failing to realize the impact on their selling relationships. These
words warrant a glance into Webster’s Dictionaryto fully understand the foot-
ings of such attitudes.
- Skep’tic.One who habitually doubts matters generally accepted
- Pess’i’mist.The tendency always to expect the worst (secondary mean-
ing—the belief that the evil in life outweighs the good) - Cyn’i’cal.Denying the sincerity of people’s motives and actions
And while we’re at it, the original meaning of the word sarcasmsheds
some light as well.
- Sar’casm.To bite the lips in rage
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