Optimism

The clock shines 10:00 AM in Eric’s room. It’s time for another round of chemo therapy. He’s spent six months in this hospital. Each day brings a different bouquet and Hallmark card. Looking at them makes Eric feel nauseous. He already can’t stand looking in the mirror at where his once plentiful hair once grew. As he is being transported down the hall, he finds himself looking into other patients rooms only to be disappointed with the same flowers and cards laying in a pile next to the IV. He…

The Rational Optimist - Matt Ridley Most people assume the world is going to hell in a handbasket and that they are the only ones who will do well. There is something about human nature that makes us pessimistic of others and optimistic about yourself. Matt Ridley in The Rational Optimist explains how in nearly every way the world is becoming more a more prosperous. I was given a new perspective on the world, I had never looked at the world through an optimist's eyes until now. All around us…

Isolation is a powerful force. To be separated from humanity can disorient and debilitate oneself, unless they have hope. In John Valliant’s literary work The Jaguar’s Children, the protagonist, Hector, significantly grows, as he becomes an optimistic individual in order to survive, a more selfless person by taking care of Cesar and becomes a faithful believer in God. The isolation he faces changes his moral beliefs and attitude, ultimately giving him the willpower and hope to stay alive long…

Social psychology refers to the scientific study of how we think, influence, and how they relate to one another (Meyers, 2011). In my experience, I have come into contact with the effects of optimists versus pessimists, self-handicapping, and the fundamental attribution error. These social phenomenons have influenced my high school career as well as my life personally. Optimists versus pessimists Optimists are the people who are more likely to act from good events while bad ones have little to…

History has a tendency of repeating itself. Norms and laws may change, but viewpoints tend to fluctuate between being optimistic and pessimistic. This can be traced throughout humanity, with some decades being notably prosperous and optimistic and others being much more difficult and pessimistic. However, there are two periods in humanity that can be compared to on many different aspects and topics, with one of those topics focusing on human nature and epistemology. More specifically, whether…

I’m pretty sure most of us know the stories of Winnie the Pooh. Do you remember the two characters Tigger and Eeyore. We all know Tigger as the energetic, exuberant, and friendly character. Eeyore is the more insightful, gloomy, and dismal character. There are many different ways that people are defined in life. Would you consider yourself to a very vibrant and excited person or a shallow and negative person? An optimist would be somebody who tries to find light even in the darkest of places,…

Self Portrait: In the self-portrait I tried to use a mix of the two strategies into one photo. I incorporated the strategies of contradiction and also exhibitionism to portray the destruction of stress. I tried to express a contradiction of my personality through the visualization of a gag, and the process of stress causing the contradiction of my true personality. The gag, which is stretched is to appear as it is skin being stretched. This is supposed to symbolize the contradiction of my…

Jean-Jacques Rousseau has stated “The World of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.” Accordingly, many romantic poets have put emphasis on imagination as a method of creative expression, conveying the notion that knowledge exists outside of the self. Possibly the most intricate understanding of the imagination, its ramifications and its advantages is best introduced in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem, “This Lime-Tree Bower My Prison.” Throughout this conversation poem,…

In the world there are many types of people, some choose to live a good, happy life while a few become lonesome and sad. Someone's attitude plays a big role in the actions of a person. Some may state that a persons attitude does not effect the way they preform or become successful. Although, many say how you preform reflects the attitude that you have shown. In Richard Wrights novel, Native Son, the main character hardly ever revealed a positive attitude which led to him not thinking wisely…

The Optimism of the Individual to bring about Social Reform The idea of “civil" action, disobedience to connect individual action to the social good is a major part of Thoreau's belief system. Gandhi's march was "historical" because he recognized its ingrained life-changing nature. The "Long Walk to Freedom" is representative of how Mandela sees the end of apartheid in his vision. The call for sacrifice and pain that each thinker suggests clearly makes the case for an optimistic end. Thoreau's…