Home » Optimists, pessimists, realists... Funny classification 
People always divide themselves into groups. This is probably in our nature: noticing the difference in our views and not wanting to be “on the same team” with those who think differently, we consider ourselves to be a group of like-minded people.
In this article I want to talk to you about the characteristics of optimists, pessimists and realists. Perhaps you recognize yourself or your friends here 
Who is an optimist?
An optimist is a person who, in any situation, counts on a positive scenario for the development of events. They are almost always in high spirits and are not afraid of failures, but prefer to believe in success in any circumstances. There are a number of key signs that characterize an optimist, including:
1. Communication skills
. Unlike a pessimist, an optimist is not afraid to make a bad impression on others, therefore he appears more confident in communication and easily makes contact with unfamiliar people.
2. Smiling
. Another distinctive feature of optimists is a smile that is almost constantly on their face. Thanks to their cheerfulness and smiling, they look more attractive and even 5-10 years younger than their age.
3. Independence
. An optimist is always confident in himself. He does not need to rely on others or favorable circumstances. He knows that he can achieve everything on his own.
4. Initiative
. Since an optimistic person usually knows well what he wants to achieve, he always takes the initiative. He knows that the more attempts he makes, the higher the likelihood of success.
5. Have a calm reaction to troubles
. Even optimists have troubles, but they almost never get upset. Continuing to believe in success, they accept every failure as a valuable experience or challenge that can be overcome with due diligence.
6. Determination
. Since an optimist is always confident that he will achieve his goals, he does not lose motivation. Even if he fails, he chooses an alternative path and calmly continues moving.
7. Resistance to depression
. Although this sign seems obvious, not everyone pays attention to it. An optimist is a person who, even after failures, remains in a positive mood, and you most likely have never seen him in a bad mood.
8. Confidence in one's own rightness
. A characteristic feature of most optimists is self-confidence, which also includes confidence in one’s own rightness. It is indeed extremely difficult to convince them.
9. Positive reaction to change
. This is one of the most obvious signs to distinguish an optimist from a pessimist. He always rejoices at new events, even if they ruin all his plans. Any “shake-up” improves his mood and adds emotional energy to him.
10. Sanguine temperament
. Surely you know about the existence of four types of temperament, which were discovered and described by Hippocrates. Sanguine is quite easy to recognize among them. This person is always positive, energetic and friendly. Most sanguine people are naturally optimistic, and most optimists are sanguine.
The opposite of an optimist is a pessimist - a person who always builds negative scenarios in his head and underestimates the chances of success. His pessimism is most noticeable when he finds himself in the same company with an optimist. These two types react completely differently to the same things and events. Surely you know the “textbook” example of a glass that is half full for one person, and half empty for another. And this is not an exaggeration; their reaction to various circumstances almost always turns out to be the opposite.
Pros and cons of being an optimist
Obviously, optimism can be both useful and harmful. It adds confidence to a person, but makes him prone to impulsive actions. Sometimes this can lead to unexpected results. Let's take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of optimism.
Pros of being an optimist:
1. A positive mood has a beneficial effect on well-being
. A person's health directly depends on his mood. Research shows that extreme stress can weaken your health and make you more susceptible to illness. A good mood, on the contrary, improves health and improves immunity.
2. Optimism promotes success
. Belief in one’s own strength makes a person work more efficiently, so optimists are more productive.
3. Optimists are more likely to become leaders
. People are more willing to follow cheerful leaders than “whiners.” Pay attention to people you know who hold leadership positions. Surely most of them will be very optimistic people.
4. Cheerful people look more attractive
. Psychological research shows that people who smile are more liked. Therefore, optimists have more friends, and others treat them more favorably.
5. Optimists look younger
. Stress is an important factor in aging. And since optimists are practically not subject to stress, over the years they look younger and younger compared to their peers.
Cons of being an optimist
Of course, optimists also have disadvantages that poison the lives of not only them, but also their loved ones. Their main drawback is excessive arrogance. They believe in themselves, they believe in luck, they believe that the most favorable of all scenarios will happen. They believe in success without having the prerequisites for such confidence. As a result, both themselves and the people around them suffer.
Here it is appropriate to recall “Murphy’s Law,” which states that “if some kind of trouble can happen, it will definitely happen.” Many people think that this is simply the point of view of a typical pessimist. In practice, this law is necessary to remind people to take precautions. You should always anticipate the worst possible outcome and prepare for it. And then no circumstances will be able to interfere with the plans.
An optimist ignores Murphy's law and does not think about unfavorable scenarios at all. His arrogance can reach fantastic proportions. Of course, miracles happen, but sometimes the result is disastrous. This must be taken into account by both the optimist himself and his loved ones.
Change your life!
But it’s easy to say, and not at all easy to do. Where to start and how to move along this path? Here are some tips to help you look at your life differently and believe that you can really change it for the better.
● Take a piece of paper and write your negative attitudes on the left side of it. And on the right, rephrase them into positive ones. For example, on the left: every spring and autumn I will get sick because I have health problems. Right: Every spring and fall I feel full of energy and health.
● Try to surround yourself with people who think and think positively, strive for those from whom you are charged with positive energy, invite them into your environment, communicate with them, learn from them.
● Try to see those situations that cause you negative reactions in a positive light. Having trouble boarding a plane for fear of an accident? Imagine being greeted by your loved one when you return home, and interesting people waiting for you when you go to the office or to a business meeting. And then you will think about how you arrive, and not about how scary it is to drive and get into an accident.
● Try to see the best qualities in people. The world is dual: there is good and evil, plus and minus, day and night. So in every person there is both good and bad. Focus on its strengths.
● Imagine your life the way you want it to be. Make a collage by cutting out pictures you like from magazines and pasting them onto a large sheet of paper the way you want. Perhaps this way you will be better able to understand your desires and create your own program that will inspire you.
● Create a treasure trove of positive emotions that you have experienced and that have brought you happy moments in life. Revisit them often in your mind and share them with others.
● Learn to track your negative thoughts and emotions, catch yourself on them and switch to positive ones “here and now”, without putting off thinking until the evening or morning. This cafe has slow waiters and is not very cozy? But there is delicious food and good music here. This internal dialogue will help you focus on the positive and lift your spirits.
● If you feel that it is difficult for you to cope with the problem on your own and all your efforts do not bring satisfaction and do not lead to the expected changes, it is better to seek help from a specialist.
Types of optimism
To finally understand who an optimist is, and to understand why this word can have both positive and negative connotations, let’s consider the two groups into which psychologists divide optimistic people.
1. Rational type
. Optimists in this group are close to realists because they believe in a positive outcome, but analyze circumstances and assess risks. They do not believe in unexpected luck and do not expect a miracle. They believe in themselves and make determined efforts to improve their current situation. The rationality of his own behavior makes such an optimist happy and cheerful, therefore it is this type that usually achieves success both in the business sphere and in his personal life.
2. Irrational type
. Optimists in this group are confident in a favorable outcome, even when there is no basis for this confidence. They do not analyze the situation, do not try to optimize their actions to improve it. They are simply confident that everything will be resolved successfully. This type of optimism dulls vigilance, preventing a person from making informed and thoughtful decisions.
How to communicate with an optimist?
Optimists are very pleasant people to talk to. They are smiling and cheerful, and with their energy and optimism they can infect any interlocutor. But it is important to consider that excessive optimism is often misplaced. For example, if you start convincing a student who is about to be expelled that everything will be fine, this can lull his vigilance and significantly reduce his chances of maintaining a place at the university.
Also keep in mind that optimists tend to make rash promises. This doesn't mean they are lying. They themselves believe that they will accomplish everything. But then they don’t have enough time, energy or other resources. The result is that the optimist often has the reputation of not keeping his own promises. When communicating with an optimist, it is important to remember and take these points into account. Do not demand unnecessary promises from him and soberly assess the feasibility of joint plans, since he does not know how to do this.
To please an optimist, it is necessary to avoid things that irritate him in communication. Typically, optimists cannot tolerate despondency, doubt, uncertainty and negative forecasts. Try to be on his wavelength. Accept his worldview and act as if you are confident that events will develop in the best way. It is not necessary to give up doubts and worries. Just don't voice them.
Realist (skuchnus pragmatikus)
Found predominantly in developed countries, but individual representatives are scattered throughout the world
1. Realist (skuchnus rassuzhdalus)
A person who considers himself neither an optimist nor a pessimist, preferring to look into the future without emotional assumptions. Calm, reasonable, neutral towards other types of people
2. False realist (skuchnus obmantikus)
He always positions himself as a realist, while giving out pessimistic assumptions and sentiments. This is a pessimist who does not like pessimists and refuses to recognize himself as such. Emotional, vulnerable, susceptible to social provocation (begins to argue and be indignant about injustice). He is treated with the love and respect of others, warmed by spiritual warmth, turning into a realist of the present.
Each type connects better with people of its own type, but there are other good combinations:
Pozitivikus veselchakus + grustilus nedoverchivus
The first usually hopes to cheer up and motivate the second, and the second seeks to communicate with the first, trying to “be infected” with optimism from him. Most often, the intentions of both come true, but have a short-term effect.
Skuchnus rassuzhdalus + pozitivikus bez variantikus
There are no contradictions in their positions, and being both convinced people, they respect each other’s opinions. Sometimes the first seeks to communicate with the second in order to cheer himself up, and the second seeks to lift his own mood by lifting the mood of the first. It usually turns out pretty good.
Have you found yourself among these types? You may be a mixed type, shifting from one to the other depending on circumstances or mood.
For reference: the author of this classification is a typical representative of pozitivikus bez variantikus
Solinka
