1. Between the options presented in a difficult situation, choosing to be optimistic is always the better choice. The reason is that the world tends to improve for most people most of the time.
2. Pessimism often seems smarter and gets more attention than optimism.
3. Pessimism is reinforced by our tendency to focus more on losses than gains and our instinct to expect the worst.
4. Progress happens slowly and may go unnoticed, while setbacks grab immediate attention.
5. Expecting the worst can make positive outcomes feel even better.