Glass half full, get bucket, more on the way!
After some deliberation, I consider myself an optimist. I do have pessimistic moments and some bad days. Despite those, I remain optimistic. Experience has moved me along the continuum from pessimism, through realism, to optimism.
I don't think anyone wants to be pessimistic, so pardon me for glossing over that end of the spectrum. I'll admit to being biased, but realists are missing out. Too often, it seems, realists accept life the way it is just because it is. Or maybe they settle for less than they want; using words like unfeasible and unrealistic. What they really mean is "I don't want it that bad, it costs too much." I think realists are just afraid of being disappointed; perhaps they are pessimists in disguise!
Where's the hope? I choose to believe that life is full of possibilities. Everything is unrealistic...until it's not, or at least until some optimist changed the paradigm. This belief persists largely because it works. I have seen pessimism and realism. My life's experiences teach me that optimism is better. It gets results; it is life's driving force. Try it some time.