Optimists choose to focus only on the bright side of life

REALITY

Optimists don’t think life is great all the time. And they don’t force themselves to always be positive. What they do do, however, is embrace, rather than fight, negative emotions, in order to understand what they are signalling. Our more uncomfortable emotions are often signposts to things we care about, so optimists examine them and think about how they could change the relevant circumstances. For example, if you’re feeling negatively about a political issue, you could get involved in a group advocating for change.