in all honesty, strong people tend to be optimists

Perhaps so. I think it may work in reverse—optimists tend to be strong people. It takes strength to continue to view even difficult life events with hope for better days.

Elessar · 31-35, M

@bijouxbroussard It takes either strength or (more often) delusion. I'm fairly pessimistic myself and 90% of the times I confront myself with an optimist, detailing my causes of concern and motivating them with verifiable evidence, I find out their hope is based entirely on thin air and end up becoming even more pessimistic.

bijouxbroussard · F

@Elessar I think there’s a huge difference between true optimism and delusion. With the former, people work hard to try and improve their lot in life; the latter include those who just blindly think things will improve—because (the "hopes and prayers" folks). Those with the former aren’t expecting utopia—just an improvement in their current circumstances and are trying to make that much happen.