I'm looking for philosophers, both classical and modern, who have constructed arguments for optimism. [more inside]
posted by MikeHarris on Dec 12, 2009 - 29 answers

Is "that uniquely American optimism" really so? [more inside]
posted by jefficator on May 5, 2009 - 32 answers

How do you bounce back after taking a high risk opportunity that flops? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 1, 2009 - 20 answers

Can someone who seems embittered by their experiences with the world in general, and with people, institutions, religion and relationships in particular, improve their view with a change in circumstances? Or, is how they handle the feelings from those experiences more about character, with a change in location or fortunes not having much long-term emotional effect? [more inside]
posted by CollectiveMind on Mar 23, 2009 - 18 answers

What is a classic, perhaps philosophical, novel about individual freedom to choose? So that no matter how desperate the situation you find yourself in, you always have choices about what to do, how to feel and how to think about your situation. [more inside]
posted by zaebiz on Mar 10, 2009 - 23 answers

Has anyone here ever actually learned to be more optimistic? [more inside]
posted by katyjack on Jun 20, 2008 - 40 answers

Optimism Filter: What individuals, groups or publications are thinking innovatively about the future of our planet and how to get there? [more inside]
posted by Mender on Jun 4, 2008 - 11 answers

What is the most optimistic music known to humankind, and what is the most pessimistic or depressing music known to humankind? I'm looking for genres but I'm focusing on songs. I am also interested to see which side wins in this competition -- I'd suspect the darker side defeats the lighter side in quantity, but what about quality?
posted by Knigel on Oct 20, 2007 - 76 answers

How does an eternal pessimist find a ray of sunshine in a gloomy world? [more inside]
posted by nightengine on Aug 8, 2005 - 30 answers