| I occasionally struggle with issues around optimism/pessimism. Working in a start-up I'm surrounded by others who are overwhelmingly optimistic (which is such a powerful bulwark against the brutal struggle, especially in the early days). I try my best to be as positive as I can, but on reflection I'm probably a slight optimist, or neutral in my overall outlook. I can't help feeling like some other team members see me as constantly dragging things down when I point out issues etc. I guess I can sometimes feel like a total pessimist when contrasted against individuals who are overwhelmingly optimistic, despite not in-fact having a tendency toward pessimism. Maybe I'm a barrier to progress :) It's a strange relativism that I only encounter in my work environment. In everyday life, I definitely don't feel pessimistic. I wonder if, relatively speaking, the extreme blind optimist can make the more rational, reserved optimist seem negative by comparison. Gaining a good overall perspective is key I guess, although never easy. |