I am not an optimist

“I am not an optimist. I am a very serious possibilist.”  I have long admired optimists because I am most definitely not one. I love the idea of being optimistic, but the mindset is so foreign to me. It doesn’t quite feel like that mindset leaves a place to incorporate my natural worries and observations. But Hans Rosling’s concept of possibilist? That feels entirely, well, possible for me to adopt. He explains it in #Factfulness like this, “It means someone who neither hopes without reason, nor fears without reason, someone who constantly resists the overdramatic worldview. As a possibilist, I see all this progress, and it fills me with conviction and hope that further progress is possible. This is not optimistic. It is having a clear and reasonable idea about how things are. It is having a worldview that is constructive and useful.” 💛⁣

[Font inspired by: @thegraytergood]⁣

i am not an optimist I am a very serious possibilist

Published by Emily P.G. Erickson

Emily P.G. Erickson is a freelance writer specializing in mental health and parenting. She has written for popular digital publications, including Everyday Health, Health, The New York Times, Parents, Romper, WIRED, and more. Emily is a professional member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) and the Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ). Previously, Emily researched PTSD for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and earned a master's in psychology. You can find the latest from Emily at www.emilypgerickson.com.

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