Tending to focus on the positive and the future, people who value the Optimism attribute have faith in life and themselves, believing that things will turn out fine in the end. As optimists, they tend to see the best aspect of all things and expect the best possible outcome from any given situation. Men and women tend to believe this equally, with a tendency for such people to be younger and to have a higher income.

Optimism espousers love to have fun - perhaps even believing that it is the primary purpose of a truly successful life. Life may sometimes be tough, but this longer term view allows such people nearly always to feel cheerful and to see the possibilities, whatever the situation. Rarely feeling depressed, they remain upbeat, due to their ability to adapt to changing circumstances and make things even better. They like to try to turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse!

They remain confident in their abilities to do things well, even if it means changing the way they do things and, perhaps, even transforming the way they think about people and the world. They do not see the world in black and white terms. They realise that there are few absolutes, and they are willing to accept paradoxes and ambiguities in everyday life. One of their joys is to reflect upon the deeper aspects of life where there are no clear yes or no answer.

Even though they are optimistic about the future for themselves and others, their expectations are not set in stone. The Optimism attribute is not about creating a specific future, it is about having faith in being able to cope and even thrive with whatever life throws at them. Such resilience means that they can feel at home almost anywhere, even when their circumstances change dramatically.

Due to their core belief that people can change, they like to forgive and forget whenever possible. They try hard not to hold grudges; preferring to let go of the past and to embrace the future. Rather than seeking vengeance, they prefer to encourage others to make a fresh start and to change inappropriate behaviours and attitudes. Likewise, Optimism espousers are able to forgive themselves, as they learn how to change and adapt the way they live and act in the world.