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Optimism vs. Pessimism

Learn English in this lesson about optimism and pessimism

Date: Dec 03 2019

Grammar: Present Progressive Tense

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Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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Do you think life is good? Do you feel bad about life? If you answered yes to the first question, you might be an optimist. If you answered yes to the second question, you could be a pessimist. Maybe you answered yes to both! Like many people, you feel optimistic sometimes and pessimistic sometimes.

It can be hard to keep a positive outlook when bad things happen. You might feel sad and discouraged. Maybe you need to boost your spirits by doing your favorite hobby. Maybe you need to spend some time with your family. You could also talk to a friend.

Marni is feeling pessimistic today. Listen to Marni and Gary talk about optimism versus pessimism.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Gary

Marni: Oh, Gary.

Gary: What’s up?

Marni: I just feel like the world is against me.

Gary: Oh, no.

Marni: I’m really having a glass half empty kind of day.

Gary: I’m sorry. Are you feeling discouraged from something specific?

Marni: You know, I just feel like life is beating me down a little bit. I used to be more optimistic. I used to be like you. But now I just see all the negative things happening in the world and I just think, “What’s the point?”

Gary: Sometimes, it’s really hard to see the good in people. I think our society just does a really good job of reminding us of all the bad things happening. But we really do live in this really hopeful place, with wonderful things happening that people are doing to save lives, to clean up the environment…

Marni: That’s what I love about you. You see everything in a positive light… a totally glass half full kind of guy. I need your positive energy to boost my spirits.

Gary: Glad I could help!

Marni: Thanks.

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Discussion

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Marni is having a bad day. She feels sad and gloomy because of the bad things happening in the world. She says she used to be more optimistic, but now it is hard for her to feel that way.

Gary agrees that sometimes it is hard to feel optimism. However, he reminds Marni that there are a lot of good things happening in the world. People are working together to help each other and the environment. Gary’s positive energy helps Marni feel better.

Are you more of an optimist or a pessimist? What do you do when you feel sad?

Comments

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mobinm

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Anything happens and noone can predict. I always doubt myself when I’m quite optimistic or pessimistic about things going to happen in the future.

MahjoubaYebrak

Mauritania

when i feel sad i try to do something very fun like to vist freind or listen to music or reading some funy story

MehmetKaragul

Turkey

Thanks Redji

Mahtab.bp

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Thank you Redji!

Yes there is always a bright morning after a dark night! 😌

Redji

Russian Federation

I always read messages of MehmetKaragul, Princess and Mahtab with pleasure. So, decided to be in your discussion club too))

I’m optimist by life and try to make each moment beautiful, memorable… Sometimes, difficulties in life make me weaker and negative thoughts take all the place in my mind… but I always remember that the darkest time is before the dawn !

tkash

United States

I always try to be optimistic, because optimism or positive thinking might attract many good things.

Seiyf_khawas

Turkey

Seiyf_khawas

Turkey

Seiyf_khawas

Turkey

fcf515

Taiwan

I am both optimistic and pessimistic. If I feel sad, I will try to cheer myself up by exercising or watching funny TV shows. However, I don’t always look things at the bright side. I sometimes prepare for the worst to come.

ousmanecisse880

Senegal

My one lesson is very good thank you.

yuminaga

China

Im such a optimist no matters what happen in my life I just look on the bright side ,time will tell never say “whats the point “

MehmetKaragul

Turkey

I am more of an optimist. Bad days comes and goes. I try to see the light. But there are times I feel gloomy for sure. It depends on many things.

Wuthering

United States

Optimism and Pessimism are one of Thought of humans . We , humans , are in the cycle life and that cycle will never go to the end . O & P come and go to visit humans’ brain , only one who is strong enough to keep O stays longer .

Mahtab.bp

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I dont know why good and bad events happen together.

Who can be optimist when you lose your beloved ones because of cancer or an accident?

You ask yourself why? why it happened to me?

But after a while you have to accept the situation and tell yourself “Everything will be fine”!!

Anyway I was more pessimist than optimist before but I found out if stick to sad and bad things in my llife more bad things will happen.😳

Furthuremore I belive negative thoughts affect on our lives and vice versa.

Then Im trying to see things from positive aspects most of the time.

Also Im sure it has happened to you too.

Sometimes we think something is very bad and we feel sad about that but later we understand that wasnt so bad for us and maybe we must be thankful for that!😏

Like when someone leaves your life for coming a better one to your life!😌

NIJ321655

United States

I like :).

Seiyf_khawas

Turkey

to my idea,

Life is made up of thusands different thoughts,feelings,behaviors,beliefs..and Noone is perfect in this life..and all has good and bad qualities ,habits..

pessimists think everything will go bad,nothing will change in good way..they always think all world is against to them ..

optimists think it opposite , they think everything has a reason and bad things dont last forever..they believe ,sun will smile after rains..and everything will go better again..

many of people open their eyes for seeing beautiful things in the world,

but some of them open their souls with eyes for seeing beautiful things and to feel them .they understand nature and life is beautiful in harmony and in miracle .

thus ,optimists see half full side of glass :)

Seiyf_khawas

Turkey

let me share a story with you, about this topic, from net..

A Grandfather was sitting by the fire with his two young grandsons, teaching them about the difference between good and bad, positive and negative. The Grandfather tells his grandchildren, “There is a good wolf and a bad wolf living inside each of us. The good wolf is love, compassion, courage, generosity, fortitude, discipline, laughter and every worthy virtue a human being is capable of. The bad wolf is anger, hatred, laziness, jealousy, envy, greed, sloth and other vices a human being is capable of. In each and every one of us, these two wolves are engaged in a fierce battle.”

Sitting on the edge of their seats the two grandsons, hardly able to contain their anticipation, blurted out excitedly, “Which wolf gets to win Grandfather!?”

“The one you feed”, the Grandfather answered. “The one you feed.”

Rozlina

Saudi Arabia

yes there are a bad happenings more than a good one but we should accept that and live our lives with positive day and looking for a good in day also it depend on people who live with