I happened to run across a fairly lengthy essay on “dynamic optimism” by Max More. This is not a bunch of psycho-babble, but is very substantive, including references to scientific research. It is very good, and I highly recommend giving it a look. Here’s the LINK.
January 16, 2009 at 8:54 am
This is a good article, and I agree with the author’s approach to optimism which requires a significant amount of rational thought to make it a dynamic optimism. I had called this “smart optimism” in an earlier posting here, and I think that is the appropriate way to approach the issue.
However, I should point out the conditions which allow optimism to florish are not entirely within the control of the individual. It’s easy for us in the USA to be optimistic when we live in a country that encourages personal growth and success. But that’s not always the case. I suspect residents in Sudan, or some other lawless, war-torn region would view the issue of optimism in a different light.