are optimists naive?

[Maou]

It depends on the person.

I realized the other day, I am so far from optimism that I can make other people lose hope when I accidentally share the "real feels" that I have. Its kind of ironic, as I always considered myself an optimist. But it appears my optimism is only short term based. Otherwise I am an existential nihilist to the point I've given up on happiness, because I view most of the more pleasurable things in life as illusions, or short lived hedonistic pleasures. As well as realizing the probability of acheiving your dreams is pretty much non-existant... at least for people like me who can't be satisfied within my lifespan.

 

[Tellenbach]

I'm optimistic about some things and pessimistic about other things; people who are always optimistic are naive as are those who are always pessimistic.

If you're pessimistic about the state of the world for example, then you're lacking in perspective as this article points out:

Why The World Is Getting Better And Why Hardly Anyone Knows It

In a powerful study entitled “The short history of global living conditions and why it matters that we know it” by Max Roser, an economist at the University of Oxford and the founder of Our World in Data, we learn that on virtually all of the key dimensions of human material well-being—poverty, literacy, health, freedom, and education—the world is an extraordinarily better place than it was just a couple of centuries ago.

Humanity has made amazing progress in a mere century but you wouldn't know it because most of the media coverage is negative.

 

[Peter Deadpan]

People who are frequently optimistic strike me as lying to themselves on some level to avoid the dark depths of reality. I realize the value of optimism and can be optimistic at times, but I generally get annoyed spending too much time discussing issues with highly optimistic people.

My boyfriend is very optimistic and I get irritated with him sometimes when he tries to give me hope because it makes me feel like he's not hearing me, which is inseparable from understanding my feelings and thus me.

 

[Earl Grey]

I would say I'm generally optimistic, but not necessarily naive.
Imo pessimism won't really change anything, so I'd pick the 'better' answer.
I don't like thinking that there isn't anything that can be done about something, pessimism can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

is it naive to believe that things will turn out for the best?

Belief shows a certain kind of expectation of what something may be; expectations are not always reality, nor can they / do they always become reality. The inability to let go of an expectation or belief that certain things would turn out a certain way despite evidence stating otherwise is what turns it into naivety.

Perceptions can be very sketchy, clouded by wishful thinking or negative beliefs of how something may pan out. To remain optimistic is to look at the best of what something may be and taking concrete steps into turning it into reality. That is not naive.

 

[Herwig]

I generally see it as kinda naive. It's kinda familiar to naive.

 

[Wunjo]

They are as naive as pessimists can be for a realist; because life is quite an unpredictable force, so unpredictable that it can't be categorised or be examined with a coin that is one-sided. I think bashing optimists from a pessimistic point of view as "naive" is not very canny.

 

[Population: 1]

I broke that fucking glass. Now we can all stop obsessing over it.

The word blind before optimist makes all the difference in terms of naivety. If elements of humanity weren’t optimistic we’d never have left the caves our ancestors inhabited. However, a foundation of realism is necessary for healthy optimism.

Now, does anyone have a broom?

 

[Yuurei]

It's all about perspective.

I for one, could be considered an optimist. Not because I believe everything is going to go my way. In fact experience tells me avalanche of troubles will get in my way every move I make.
But I don't worry because I know that no matter what happens I will find a way to deal with it, I will always be "okay."

Some people are optimists because they are lucky mother fuckers who have never had anything get in their way. They may be annoying, but their assertions are reasonable, people tend to make predictions based on patterns of previous experience.

People who believe that everything will work out because the world and the people in it are just inherently good and God or whatever loves us are not so much naive as completely out of touch with anything remotely resembling reality.

 

[Mole]

What is interesting is that we can learn optimism, just as we can learn empathy, just as we can learn to play the piano. All it takes is practice. And the neurotic want to succeed without practice.

 

[Sacrophagus]

I will have to admit that there are these irritating and insane people whose optimism and uncanny intuitive intelligence go far beyond the expectations of our calculating and arrogant minds. Their optimism is like a hopeful beam we initially resist for we're not in tune with, some kind of soothing spell that makes others believe "Whether I have it or not, it is okay", and from that point onward, in a clear state of mind, others can act and truly carry on.

Still thankful for that undefeated pesky optimist I met.

Naive? Yeah. Just slap them half the time they say something. It will save you a lot of time and money.

 

[Maou]

I think its more important to see your past in a positive light, bad or not. That generates a healthier outlook, and you appreciate being alive more.

 

[rav3n]

As a strategy, relative to mind/body connect, it's not out-of-scope to suggest that optimism is the best strategy for health since stress (cortisol to be specific) lowers the effectiveness of the immune system.

 

[Neal Caffreynated]

No they’re not. I always try to have an optimistic outlook but that doesn’t make me naive at all.

Being optimistic is being confident that you’ll succeed to reach the goals you’ve set. It also means having a positive outlook on life and never being scared or stressed out of what’s to come in the future. Being naive simply shows you lack experience yet and maybe are too trustful. I think I actually know some people that are naive and pessimistic lol

I’ve also heard a lot (I guess bc I’m new to the workforce) that young people are always naive, as if there aren’t experienced and smart young adults and naive old people