What % Optimist Are You?

About This Quiz

Optimism is not so much an outlook as a philosophy. Optimists are not especially lucky or deluded. Optimists just see opportunities where others do not. They understand on a visceral level that every downturn has its upside, that a rising tide raises all ships, and that tomorrow can always be better than today, even and perhaps especially when today wasn't great.

Being an optimist has been shown to have tangible health and relationship benefits. Even some professions tend to be full of optimists. Entrepreneurs, for example, have to be optimists almost by definition. Imagine starting a new business, putting all your life savings into it, begging and borrowing from friends, family, strangers, taking out loans against your house, all the while believing the business will fail. Clearly, optimism makes more sense in that situation. The people who make the biggest changes in the world thus tend to be optimists who think their big idea is the one that will succeed.

While not all optimists are right 100% of the time, on balance, the outlook has proven a practical utility in navigating the world, both professionally and personally. Optimists tend to be happier and healthier, whereas pessimists and self-described realists can somatize their stress, ending up with sore necks, rashes and nails bitten to the quick.

So what percent optimist are you? We can discover it for you. Take this quiz and find out!