Realistic or pessimistic? Find out what kind of person you are

Have you ever been told that you are a realist or a pessimist? If the answer is yes, but you disagree and want to know if the arguments they use are valid, this article is for you. Being realistic is often confused with being pessimistic.and they are two very different types of personality characteristics that lead to misunderstandings.

First of all, it is important that you know that the tendency to see the negative side of situations is normal and has an evolutionary and adaptive reason: to protect ourselves from what can harm us. However, when a person only sees the negative, he becomes pessimistic and the adaptive function of detecting the “bad” becomes a problem.

Likewise, it should be noted that There is a middle point between being a pessimist and being an optimist, this middle point is realism.. To help you understand the differences between realism and pessimism, and discover what kind of person you are, we will explain each one.

Characteristics of a pessimistic person

Pessimism is a negative anticipation of the future which makes a person expect the worst things and anticipate evil, failure and disappointment. The pessimist has a cognitive-attentional bias that psychologist Aaron Beck called selective abstraction. Through it, only unfavorable or unpleasant information is attended to and retained.

Next, we will present and describe the characteristics of a pessimistic person, according to research on the neural bases of pessimism. This analysis will allow you to know what these types of individuals are like.

Focus on the negative: They see the negative side of every situation and exaggerate its relevance. Their attention focuses disproportionately on unfavorable signals, while neglecting positive aspects. In more colloquial words, they focus on the glass half empty.External locus of control: Pessimists think that the events in their lives are controlled by external factors. Thus, they consider that the success and achievement they achieve is due to luck, chance, institutions or the relationship they have with another person.Unsafety: They tend to feel insecure due to their tendency to focus on the negative and anticipate the worst. According to the study cited above: “The mediation of the right hemisphere in a vigilant and inhibitory way creates a feeling of insecurity that generates and sustains pessimistic thought patterns.”Passivity in the face of adversity: They passively face the challenges, problems and adversities that arise. This behavioral pattern is linked to their fatalistic vision of the world, which supports the identity that defines them.Inclination to depression: As a consequence of their way of thinking, acting and feeling, pessimistic people have depressive tendencies. Constant worry about danger and the idea that things can go wrong increase your vulnerability to depression. Likewise, they tend to generate avoidance and passivity behaviors, accompanied by a low mood.Negative attributional style: They attribute their failures to internal, stable and global factors, while they explain their successes due to external causes. This way of understanding what happens to them makes them feel hopeless and blocks their ability to learn from experiences and overcome obstacles.

Keep in mind that pessimistic people, when faced with a difficulty, anticipate the worst result, without it being the most probable. That is, they place their negative expectations “on what is to come.”

In this sense, being pessimistic (in part) is due to having an anxious personality type. We are talking about people with a high level of “trait anxiety” who see life in a negative way.

When a person is pessimistic, they tend to set limits, think the worst and be more sensitive to uncertainty.which is resolved through the premise “expect the worst, to be prepared”.

How to stop being pessimistic

As we said at the beginning of the article, observing the negative aspects is not bad in itself, in fact, it is adaptive. However, when pessimism exacerbates and generalizes to all spheres of life, it is necessary to intervene and progress towards a more optimistic vision.

Making this transition can have a favorable impact on the pessimist’s life. In an article about the impact of optimism on well-being, it is pointed out that this way of perceiving life positively influences mental and physical well-being.

In addition, it promotes a healthy lifestyle and adaptive behaviors, such as flexibility, problem solving, and efficient processing of negative information.

Let’s briefly look at some keys that will allow you to overcome pessimism:

Accept: The first step is to recognize pessimism and the effects it has on your behavior, thoughts and emotions. Accepting that you have a difficulty is essential to working on change.Restructure thinking: Change your fatalistic thoughts for more optimistic ones. When faced with fantasies of failure, try the following alternative way of thinking: instead of focusing on the bad, think about the good things that can happen.Practice gratitude: The act of giving thanks requires identifying the positive things that generate gratitude. Therefore, giving thanks is a way to face pessimism, because it invites you to reflect on the good events that have happened to you.Set realistic goals: To overcome this way of seeing life and the world, it is also helpful to set realistic goals that you can achieve and celebrate. In this way, you stimulate, little by little, a more positive vision.Exercise regularly: You will be able to release endorphins along with different chemical substances responsible for emotional balance.Practice meditation and relaxation: Through both practices, you will place yourself in the now, offering less space to defeatist predictions or biased anticipations.Find support: Talking to another person can make you look at your situation in a different way. Seeking support from family, friends, or mental health professionals is a good option for dealing with the anticipation of negative events.

He Pessimism can be an obstacle to health, well-being and happiness when it becomes a maladaptive pattern. Therefore, it is essential to work on it and develop a more positive vision of events.

Characteristics of a realistic person

They are individuals who They perceive the world as it is and not as their expectations suggest.. They are inclined to focus only on the facts and the situation, rather than being carried away by fantasies and assumptions about the future.

They often make their decisions based on logic, rather than emotions. Other notable features are the following:

They wait for the events to happen: They do not usually anticipate with value judgments. That is, they wait to see how events develop to say what they think. Once they have real data about the situation, they make a judgment (for example: “this is great” or “this is terrible”).They maintain a neutral position: In the moments before the outcome of events, they remain calm and are able to keep their expectations adjusted to what could be expected in the reality they live.They enjoy good things: They not only prepare for what could go wrong, but also prepare to enjoy what can go right. That is, they are capable of facing almost any type of result. Furthermore, they know how to enjoy their achievements and are ready for their failures. The latter does not prevent them from fighting for their goals or distract them from their path.They appeal to objectivity: They have the ability to view situations in an unbiased and objective manner. This helps them understand what is happening and make balanced and well-informed decisions.They are pragmatic: Realists focus more on solving problems and facing challenges. Unlike pessimists, they have a more active attitude and do not allow themselves to be defeated as much by adversity.Achievement orientation: They value efficiency and productivity. They focus on their actions and the results they achieve. Your goals are based on tangible and measurable achievements and not on fantasies and idealistic intentions.

Realistic people are characterized by not being catastrophic and by valuing the positive and negative aspects. of situations and problems. This ability to evaluate situations from both polarities is one of their most distinctive characteristics.

In the work context, this type of person has several qualities that make them stand out among others. According to Holland’s occupational personality types, they tend to be active and stable, and enjoy hands-on activities.

They are individuals who like to work more with things than with ideas and do physical activities. In general, they prefer to learn by doing and are characterized by communicating in a frank and direct manner.

How to be more realistic

Next, we will review some keys so that you can increase this personality trait.

Practice objectivity: Try to see what happens to you as it is happening, ensuring that emotions, anxiety and desires do not take complete control of the situation.Identify and verify: Before consolidating an opinion or making a decision, make sure you have all the information available. Therefore, it is necessary that you investigate, analyze and study the facts, without getting carried away by speculation.Guide the goal towards solutions: Do not stay in the problem and the challenge, rather, try to formulate practical and realistic solutions that adjust to current demands. This can help you avoid frustration, reduce stress and assume a positive attitude.Recognize that not everything is perfect: Accepting that the world is imperfect and that things do not always happen as expected will help you be more realistic and avoid disappointment.Maintain realistic expectations: Define goals and expectations that are achievable and based on your own skills and resources. Don’t set unrealistic, irrational and unattainable goals.

Is it better to be realistic or pessimistic? It is necessary to highlight that When pessimism and realism are exacerbated, they become negative traits. In moderate and adaptive terms, both are very useful for personal development. The key is balance.

Conclusion

Pessimistic and realistic people reflect two different ways of seeing life and understanding problems. While the former focus on the negative and expect the worst, the others remain calm and focus on the situation.

Although both have their advantages and disadvantages, they are important for personal growth.. A clear understanding of their differences can help people…