Satisfying the optimist and the pessimist

Each of us has a tendency to be either pessimistic or optimistic. Yes, we can be one or the other at times - but under normal circumstances, some of us will see the glass half empty and others will see it half full.

How does this affect community engagement?

Well, the pessimist is likely to become the victim of analysis paralysis. With the assumption that if it can go wrong it will go wrong, the pessimist can become overly cautious and feel that it’s better to do nothing than the wrong thing.

The optimist, on the other hand, can assume that anything is possible, and as a consequence try everything. This means going off in all directions and spreading themselves so thinly that they accomplish little and impact people’s lives poorly.

They can also over-promise, and then when they fail to deliver, they can disappoint, and get a reputation for being unrealistic. It’s far better to under-promise and over-deliver than vice versa.

And it’s far better for us to start small and work our way into something. What’s in it for pessimists? They can discover that something is possible! What’s in it for optimists? They can build on a base of success!

Last Updated 09 February 2009