Table of ContentsIntroductionThe Benefits of Optimism for SuccessThe Pitfalls of Toxic OptimismConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionOptimism is the key to success. Optimism is present in almost every television commercial you encounter. Famous and highly successful people always talk about how optimism contributed to their success. It's so common that many people believe success is the result. The more optimistic you are, the more creative your mind allows you to be. With an optimistic attitude, a person can generate new ideas and create opportunities to move forward more quickly than normal. Once we think about ways to create our ideal future, we become more optimistic and positive about our present. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The Benefits of Optimism for Success Optimism is a form of positive thinking that includes the belief that you are responsible for your own happiness and that more than just bad things will continue to happen to you. They also believe that bad things are very rare and that they cannot help them. A highly optimistic person could be described as someone who thinks about the best outcome every time. A very confident person could also be described as optimistic. Throughout your life, you will encounter two different types of people: those who are optimistic and those who are pessimistic. Pessimistic people are the opposite of optimistic people, they believe that the worst will happen. A person who is very optimistic will not give up as easily as someone who is not. There are great benefits to being optimistic. Optimists also tend to feel less stress because they believe in themselves and their abilities to achieve great things, for themselves or others. The Pitfalls of Toxic Optimism Toxic optimism develops when we let our emotions manipulate statistics to the point that our desire for something to happen outweighs the actual results that will occur. This could also be known as wishful thinking. Wishful thinking can be extremely harmful, even toxic. Hope and optimism focus on a positive future. However, while hope involves trusting that we will achieve positive outcomes, toxic optimism means having them and taking them for granted. Toxic optimism may seem rare, but it's not. This is one of the main reasons why many entrepreneurs fail in the beginning. The problem is not that their business idea is bad, but rather their overly optimistic attitude. Before coming up with a backup plan, they invest all their money in a company that is at risk of going bankrupt. Excessive optimism essentially allows you to lie to yourself. You will develop selective attention. If one small thing goes wrong, it will most likely be ignored, which can create a big problem over time. Being optimistic is good, but having too much can have negative effects. Even if you are one of the most optimistic people, hard work is still necessary to achieve your dreams. Relying solely on optimism won't get you where you want to be. There will still be others who will work harder than you, even if you are optimistic. Studies have shown that overly optimistic people can fail to achieve their goals. Optimism alone cannot achieve your goals the way you want. However, to be successful, you must be realistic and optimistic. It is necessary to consider, 37(3), 239-256.