Murphy was an optimist?!!!?

Am I an optimist or a pessimist?I had never found out for sure.But its fascinating to analyze and compare both points of view in a given situation.To begin with the very definition of them is a little ambiguous to me.The most common that I have seen is this-An optimist looks at the brighter side of things and a pessimist vice versa.In other words I may perhaps say an optimist looks at those factors only which are favourable to him and conveniently forgets or tries to forget the rest.It is perhaps an euphemism for the ostrich-burying-its-head attitude,escapism in a milder form,though I suspect that would be a harsh statement.A pessimist focusses on the negatives of a situation,and expects the worst.In this sense he is probably a worshipper of Murphy:)Can we then expect pessimists to simply surrender to life as it comes,prepared for the worst?we should but rarely does it happen.
I was frequently led astray by the fact that optimism and pessimism are a state of mind and not a function of speech.Many play down their chances,due to the demands of modesty, and give an impression of being pessimists:)Come out after an exam and ask people around-you will know what I mean:)Everybody has got "screwed" or "jacked"-trust mechanical enggs to introduce such words to the english lexicon:)Nobody has done well,including those who will end up on top eventually:)Such people are not pessimists though they proudly proclaim and wear that badge on their sleeve.
Optimism in my view is inextricably linked to and founded on a bedrock of Hope.Looking at the brighter side of things is merely a way of driving away thoughts of failure,and 'hoping' that things will turn out right.Hope is a basic human feeling,which has been around since eternity when Pandora opened the box of troubles and released the Hope fairy.When nothing is coming your way,it is hope that allows you to dream of a day when things will be better.The person who coined the proverb"it is the darkest hour before dawn"-must surely have had hope.Even a death row convict,till the instant the trapdoors swing out from under him, would probably be praying for a miracle that saves him.It is only those who have lost the will to live that lose hope.As long as there is life there is hope.Thinking thus,I realized that you may "expect" the worst,but you always hope for the best.Expectation, after all,is a mathematical quantity,defined by the stochastic laws based on the odds:)
Optimism is more fundamental to human nature.Thus I decided that there are no true pessimists.Pessimism is against the order of nature.It is mere pretence at worst,an attempt at modesty at best.All pessimism is hypocrisy.
I am an optimist.:)