I do not usually think of myself as an optimist or a pessimist. I tend to think of myself as a hopeful realist. An optimist seems to be someone who sees things as being better than they really are. A pessimist seems to be someone who sees things as being worse than they really are. To me, neither one sees the reality of the situation. But maybe there is no absolute reality independent of one’s perceptions. If I say that I am a realist, am I saying that my view of things is the only valid and real view? If I call myself a hopeful realist, am I not saying that things are actually bad, but that they might improve? Are these “bad” things the true reality? Or is my view of things what is bad? If I could see the big picture—if I could see all of the parts of the universe working together for good—would I need to be hopeful? Wouldn’t I simply be eternally grateful?

Some say that evil is an illusion. Some say that everything is an illusion. If everything is an illusion, then why do we worry so much about everything? On the other hand, if everything is real, then even our feelings, thoughts, and dreams are real. I tend to think that everything is real in some sense. If it can affect me in some way, then it is real to me. Even my dreams are real in some sense. After all, they affect my waking life. And even what I currently call my waking life could be seen as a dream when compared to a more aware way of life. As Edgar Allan Poe wrote, “Is all that we see or seem/But a dream within a dream?”

Maybe I am both an optimist and a pessimist. I have confidence that things will get better (which gives me hope), but I feel that things are not as they should be (which gives me grief). If I did not have hope, I might be overwhelmed by grief. If I did not have some grief, I might feel out of touch with my current perception of reality, a reality that seems not to be as good as it could be.

I sometimes have the idea or feeling that it is only our lack of knowledge that brings us pain and suffering. If we could see the big picture, we would be able to face our temporary problems with confidence and patience.

A baby sees only a small part of reality. All it knows are its immediate needs and feelings. As the baby grows, it begins to connect the present to the past and the future. For example, when a baby is picked up, it may stop crying, even though its need for food has not yet been met. It has the expectation of food, and this expectation may bring temporary comfort.

In the same way, if we could know for sure that in the future, or in eternity, all of our needs would be met, we would not suffer as much pain and anxiety. Is our faith in a good future justified? Or is it just wishful thinking? Maybe our faith actually plays a role in determining what we will experience in the future. Maybe the collective faith of many human beings could elevate the world above its current state of fear and pain.

On the other hand, if we cling to our “realism” because our hope has been disappointed so many times, we may create circumstances that conform to a negative view of life. We should not deny it when we see things as being bad, but we should realize that there may be a bigger picture in which all the parts of the universe (which often seem to conflict) come together harmoniously. With this faith in eternal harmony, almost anything can be endured; without this faith, almost anything can destroy us. Will the world choose faith? Will you choose faith?

Alan Steinle Alan enjoys reading a wide variety of books and helping students with their English. He likes to write computer programs and try new vegetarian dishes.Read More >>