Is your glass half full or half empty? This question is employed as a simple test to determine if an individual is an optimist or a pessimist. An optimist believes we live in the best of all possible worlds. A pessimist fears that this is true.
Many pessimistically subscribe to “Murphy’s Law” which basically states, “If anything can go wrong, it will.”
In 1963 Francis Chisholm, English professor at Wisconsin State College published, “Chisholm Effect: Basic laws of frustration, mishap, and delay”. An expanded version of Murphy’s Law, he lists three laws with corollaries. First law: If anything can go wrong, it will. Corollary: If anything just can’t go wrong, it will anyway. Second law: When things are going well, something will go wrong. Corollary: When things just can’t get any worse, they will. Corollary 2: Anytime things appear to be going better, you have overlooked something. Third law: Purposes, as understood by the purpose holder, will be judged otherwise by others. Corollary: If you explain so clearly that nobody can misunderstand, somebody will. Corollary 2: If you do something which you are sure will meet with everybody’s approval, somebody won’t like it. Corollary 3: Procedures devised to implement the purpose won’t quite work. Corollary 4: No matter how long or how many times you explain, no one is listening.
Finding Chisholm’s laws hilarious, I give limited credence to number three, but strongly disagree with the first two.
As a Christian and an intentional optimist (intentional because I recognize there’s much we could be pessimistic about), I’m constantly amazed at how many things go right.
For example, when the risks and lifestyles of the average teenager are taken into consideration, it is nothing short of a minor miracle that any of us live to reach the age of 20.
Optimism isn’t synonymous with naivety. The world we live in is riddled with problems; many things do go wrong and both optimists and pessimists have, are and will experience adversity. Jesus taught, “Do not worry about tomorrow; there is sufficient evil for every day” (Matthew 6:34).
Christians, more than anyone else have cause for optimism. A pessimist is so because he/she is convinced that things are out of their control and will very likely turn out wrong. In contrast, Christians believe that God’s love is constant, He is in total control and the future is going to turn out very right.
Is your cup half full or half empty?
“My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Psalm 23:5, 6).