A Bright Future Can Be Yours! -Are You and Optimist or a Pessimist?

"IT was the best of times, it was the worst of times, . . .It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing  before us."  The opening words of Charles Dickens' literary masterpiece A Tale of Two Cities skillfully contrast how events can affect our thinking, our feelings, and our outlook. 

The two cities referred to were London and Paris during the turmoil of the French Revolution.  For the oppressed citizens of 18th-century France, the revolution's proclamation of the rights of man was indeed a "spring of hope." But for those of the ancient regime, or the outgoing political system, it was a "winter of despair," leading to death and destruction. 

Optimism or pessimism? It all depended on which side you were on. And it still does. 

Next time: Time for Self-Scrutiny

From the Watchtower magazine, 1998