I'm A Scientist Sticker

Pessimism is not more "realistic" than optimism. Faith and worry are basically the same thing. Both require believing in things you can't see. Both invite you to predict the future. The difference is what you believe in, and what you choose to do about it. Optimists believe that things will certainly get better if you don't give up. Pessimists lean into the idea that it isn't worth it to try too much because you'll only be disappointed. Both optimists and pessimists predict their own future. I've tried them both, and I don't really recommend either. On my best days, I'm not an optimist or a pessimist. I'm a scientist. I come up with ideas. I test them. I measure the results, learn from the data, and make adjustments.