Optimism Optimism is an attitude that keeps us cantered on what is good about our present situation or about the future. Everything that is lovely or delightful in this world exists alongside pain and loss. Optimism is a conscious selective focus on the good. Optimism gives us energy, it makes our efforts feel worthwhile. In the end it is rewarded because even though some of these efforts will fail, others will succeed, and we can’t know ahead of time which are which. When we are optimistic we are happier and we help other people to be happy and hopeful, too.