Optimist and Pessimist

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 25, 1910

Optimist and Pessimist

JIM JONES is an optimist, and Bill Brown of the same town is a pessimist. When it rains, Bill Brown complains that it is going to get muddy; but Jim Jones, wreathed in smiles, says that rain is a very good thing to lay the dust. When the sun shines again, Bill kicks about the heat; but Jim, still smiling, says that sunshine is a good thing to dry up the mud.

Bill complains that business is not half as good as it was when it was twice as good as it is. Jim congratulates himself that business is twice as good as it was when it was only half as good as it is.

These two men, living in the same town and under the same natural conditions, see things differently, and the one is always happy, and the other always miserable. The difference lies back of their eyes, not in front of them.

They are not any peculiar types of men. They are not confined to any particular town. They are everywhere throughout the world.

The pessimist goes about with a lantern, peering into the dark places, looking for meanness and things to find fault about. The optimist goes about in the bright sunlight, looking for the beautiful things, and finding lots of them.

The optimist rises in the morning with gladness in his heart, sunshine in his face, and smiles upon his lips. The mere privilege of living and enjoying nature is priceless satisfaction to him. He gets good out of life every moment of his existence.

The pessimist not only warps his mind, but his physique as well, and his influence on others is decidedly bad.—News-Scimitar.