Optimistically speaking, I am but a humble realist seeking to comprehend events in a down-to-earth manner. But in all honesty, I am really more of a "the cup is half-empty" kind of guy.

I have discovered a more pessimistic side of myself that is almost second nature whilst undergoing the Officer Cadet Course. No doubt, the torrential waves of hardship and tough times have only served to beckon the negative side of me to surface and rear its ugly head. I am one who tends to get caught up with worry and regret, uncontrollably dreading events that are far from sight, and all in spite of the fact that there are other consolation prizes slotted in between those. As far as I am concerned, my day to day life as it is now in the army is but filled with trials and tribulations and every other moment that is spent reconciling these moments which I thought would never past is usually overshadowed by the constant need to focus on the next obstacle there is to subvert.

More than that, there is much discourse to offer as to whether being pessimistic is akin to being a realist and therefore begs the question: Does being pessimistic necessarily mean life is worse off than one who is more positive? The concept of being a realist can sometimes overlap with that of being pessimistic in bleak circumstances when the situation really cannot improve itself even with a positive mindset and outlook. However, realism cannot always be the scapegoat for pessimism. It is simple enough to note the juxtaposition between optimism and idealism; if we know for sure that optimism and pessimism are clear contrasts of each other and we consider that realism is a good substitute for the latter, then surely being idealistic must fulfill that of being optimistic which is an illogical argument. That of idealism and realism gives the connotation that something concrete ought to be enforced in order to comply with the standards and mentality of such. On the other hand, optimism and pessimism are geared more towards how we construe a situation and choose to view it (without the pressure to change anything at hand) and therefore reflects our outlook. Therefore, it is safe to say that realism is but a cover and excuse for someone who is soaked with pessimism, albeit there may be coincidental overlaps at times (which is still not good enough evidence to say that one is not pessimistic but a realist instead).

With that in mind, we must then ask if being optimistic is necessarily better all the time. As a pessimist, I must of course speak up and say nay, but not just for the sake of defending my position. It is true that having a positive mindset will help move us along much smoother and painlessly. If we choose to look on the brighter side of things, times of hardship and suffering will sooner be over than we even know it. Pessimism only seeks to drag on our pain and to what end or good? However, I would say that in some sense, being pessimistic brings you down to a more real (and again almost overlapping with being a realist) comprehension of the situation and avoids exaggerating the conditions. If we lower our expectations, then the chances of the actual event surpassing that will be greater and if so, we would be much more satisfied and grateful for the eventual outcome. By setting the bar lower based on our own initial (and negative) assessment of the situation, we can only better prepare ourselves for failure that might come and if not, a bigger success to celebrate over.

That's still not to say being pessimistic is acceptable and neither is it right to see optimists are superior. As with all things, everything is to be in moderation and we need some extents of both sides of the spectrum. Optimism comes in handy in the midst and ongoing process of hardship because it eases the process and alleviates the suffering. Pessimism on the other hand is great in humbling ourselves in the planning phase so that we can better manage our expectations. It may not always be good to hope for the best. Ultimately, it boils down to how well we can accept our setbacks and learn from our successes. If all is well, then it hardly matters if you are a pessimist or optimist.