Optimism and skepticism

Optimism and skepticism are mental attitude or world view individuals exhibit or have regarding
something or issues. According to the Dictionary, optimism is hopefulness and confidence about the
future or the success of something likewise scepticism is generally any questioning attitude towards
unempirical knowledge or opinions/beliefs stated as facts, or doubt regarding claims that are taken
for granted elsewhere. Taking an uncalibrated glass of water at the halfway point as an example,
where the optimist will see it or say it is half full and the sceptical will have to measure it before
either saying it is half full or half empty.
Being an optimistic is expecting the best possible outcome from any given situation. It also give
people the benefit of doubt with the assumption that most people really are good and if given the
chance, would like to do the right thing. This worldview makes people to engage in activities
expecting them to work out as they should. This is sensible since if you do not expect them to work
out positively why then undertake the venture in the first place. It also enable people to trust other
even if they are meeting them for the first time. This is necessary for winning people to one side and
getting their cooperation. This is understandable especially when everyone is doing the bit for the
good for all.
But we are not living in a utopia world. Things may not go as expected because of environmental,
political, economical among other conditions. Again due to the changing nature of people, they may
do things hitherto didn't want to do because of prevailing conditions. This calls people to be
sceptical in their worldview. A sceptic is critical thinker which is part of the twenty-first skill set
the we are to acquire. You must question premises and not follow the crowd blindly.
When people tell you that something cant be done, you dont accept that at face value. When
people tell you that you should be doing something, youll weigh the input rationally and ponder
over assessing it whether it is true and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable?
Thus scepticism is good, because it keeps your mind open.
Most people see optimism as positive and scepticism as negative, which is rather unfortunate. It is
good to have positive outlook of things and it is also equally good to be cautious at the same time if
one doesn't want to have a surprise outcome that may adversely affect. As we have seen both
optimism and skepticism are good and there are instances in life where each of theses did give
expected result. I do not have fixed stand regarding the terms. Things regarding life or social issues
have some many factors and conditions making prediction sometime difficult to accurately predict
them. I subscribe to the advice made by King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 7:16-18 that says 16 So
don't be too good or too wise - why kill yourself?17 But don't be too wicked or too foolish, either why die before you have to? 18 Avoid both extremes. Thus to avoid extremities of optimism and
skepticism, I consider my self to be sceptical optimist.