Dialogue: Maybe down here we see the world sunny side up?

By MICHAEL STEVENS*

According to a piece I read in the Guardian, some psychologists are claiming that too much optimism is not a good thing. I can't think why, unless they're miserable gits who consider a positive outlook puts you out of touch with reality.

Optimism is a wonderful trait and the advent of spring seems to be bringing it out in this country. The daffodils, the blossoms, sunny days - it all starts to go to your head after a while, which I reckon can't be a bad thing.

I know there is a particularly optimistic family in the leafier streets of Mt Albert. They must all be of a very sunny disposition. They have generously and optimistically placed their old fridge outside on the grass verge, absolutely certain that someone, someday will want to take this beautiful object home for some reason.

You have to admire their outlook. Or perhaps they think it will magically disappear. Or maybe they like it on their verge. I don't know. Whatever they think, you have to admire their optimism.

Now I have made a few finds myself on the side of the road. I remember a great old leather armchair on castors I found in Melbourne many years ago. It took some effort to push it home but I knew it was worth it. Who knows, perhaps the people who left it out were related to the folks in Mt Albert?

I guess I am similarly optimistic. Old buttons, glass jars, odd screws, broken tools and other bits and pieces - I can't just put them in the rubbish. Surely they must be useful to someone, somewhere, someday? Others scoff that of course they won't be, but my sunny nature insists they will. And now some psychologists are saying I have a problem.

It is this kind of optimism that fuels my Lotto purchases. The tickets I buy always seem to be broken. I know the odds, and I know how bad they are, yet I cannot bring myself to be such a pessimist as to imagine that I will never get that big prize - if not this week, then next. And wasn't the person who won it last time an optimist just like myself? So I am pretty sure my turn will come, and if not, well, it's all for the best. I probably wouldn't know what to do with all that money anyway.

The Guardian suggested standing in front of your mirror every morning and repeating, "You're born, life's hard, you die" five times to inject a suitable note of reality into your otherwise upbeat life. I think some of our politicians have taken this advice. Once they enter opposition, even the sunniest ones suddenly seem on a constant downer. Perhaps you are automatically put on Prozac when you are on the Government benches, and the Opposition are still going through withdrawal.

The country could be leading the world in every field and the Opposition would still be sure that disaster was upon us. Likewise, the Government seems fixed on some perpetual optimistic high. We could have terrible inflation, be at war with the United States, even suffer constant fuel-price increases and have a sinking dollar, and its members would still insist that everything was coming up roses. It always seems to be spring for them.

As for business, well, these psychologists should be invited over here by the Business Roundtable to get a good look at what a dose of pessimism can do for the business sector. A few little changes to bring our industrial practices back in line with the rest of the developed and prosperous world and they all become Chicken Littles, sure that disaster is on the way. They must have read the same article and decided to increase their pessimism quotient. Luckily, it seems our farmers don't have any truck with that kind of foreign nonsense, for they all seem nicely upbeat these days.

The general population seems to live with the utmost optimism. That would explain why we have such an incredibly low rate of personal savings. She'll be right.

Now if we take a look at the true soul of this nation, our sporting heroes, we see our optimism at its best. The All Blacks might have lost the Bledisloe Cup and the Tri-Nations, people might be wondering about the integrity of Mark Todd, yet still the population soldiers on, sure that the All Blacks are still the greatest rugby team in the world, and Todd didn't need to deny anything because there was obviously nothing to deny in the first place.

This is why I feel comfortable here in my homeland. I fit in with my Lotto dreams and hoarding old jars. I understand the outlook of people who know their old fridge will find a home, or at least be appreciated as it sits on their verge. I, too, still believe in the All Blacks, and the importance of taking a relaxed view of the future. I understand the Government's outlook, and am starting to think the Guardian should best be ignored.

Of course, some people might think that this is not really optimism, but rather gullibility, stupidity, or even desperation. But you know what, mate? They just don't have the right attitude.

* Michael Stevens is an Auckland student.