Comparison Contrast Essay

                The optimist: a delightful person who always looks on the bright side of life, and doesn’t take it too seriously. They are often fun to be around and make great company. The Pessimist: a person who is never satisfied because “nothing” ever goes right for them, they are often whining and complaining about every little thing. While there are many different countries and cultures around the world, one thing remains the same; the people will always be either pessimists or optimists.
        For the optimist, the glass is always half full. They appreciate the little things in life and don’t make things too complicated. They see things for how they really are, good or bad, and decide to look on the positive side. When surrounded by this type of people, I often find myself more carefree and even more hopeful. Though I would consider myself to be an optimist, I occasionally get very frustrated about things I shouldn’t get upset about. When I get a bad grade, I tend to freak out. I have always been told “If you don’t get all A’s you won’t get into the college of your choice” or “If you don’t get straight A’s you’ll have to work at McDonalds when you grow up”. Therefore, I put a lot of pressure on myself and it ruins my day if I get a bad grade. I go to lunch and sit there solemnly, and immediately ten different people jump on my case. Some concerned, and some just curious. They encourage me and tell me that everything will be ok. The optimists are always the ones to support me, they always know that things will work out for the best, even if it doesn’t seem like it will at that point in time. I also stress less when amidst the optimists. It’s almost as if weights have been lifted off my shoulders.
        In a pessimist’s mind, the glass is always half empty. They are doubtful and judging even at the best of times. One of my dear friends is the most pessimistic person I have ever met; it’s almost painful to talk to her because of all my hope that is lost in the process. Any good feeling I had before talking to them, vanishes within the course of a few minutes. She assumes things without a better understanding of them, and makes snide comments and often calls things “stupid” or “weird”.  I am a self-proclaimed book nerd; I love to read almost any type of book. One thing that I always do is try to share with my friends a great book or book series they would enjoy. I describe it; gushing about how good it is, smiling from ear to ear, so thrilled that they might be able to enjoy it too. “That sounds really stupid, who would even read that?” her sharp words pierce the air, and my excitement pops like a ballon. I try to justify myself, and convince her that it’s a lot better than it sounds, but she just stares at me, with the same expression indented on her face. If they aren’t happy, no one can be happy, they think of themselves first and put others down. Ultimately, they are missing out on life; they are so focused on what they won’t do, they don’t think about what they should do.
        When you walk into a room, it’s almost easy to pick out the optimists and pessimists. The optimists will be the people sitting, smiling and chatting amongst themselves. The pessimists will be the bitter people in the corner of the room frowning, and not socializing, obviously not happy to be there. They are consumed with their displeasure and often take it out on other people. When I am excited about something, they immediately tear it down, while the optimists support me and encourage me to go on, just like I should have in the first place.
        Unfortunately, there will always be pessimists in the world. No matter how far you go, there will always be people there waiting to tear you down. But, just as there are pessimists there are optimists, who will always be there to catch you when you fall.