Optimism can be interpreted a number of ways. Some say it’s having confidence about an outcome that, to others, seems unlikely. It can also be described as refusing to give up hope for a desired conclusion. Optimism is something that keeps humans from facing the realistic and more likely consequences. The goal of having optimism is to keep from falling into the natural human habits of laziness and surrender.

So what happens when we don’t need it anymore? What if optimism is just tossed out the window like a forgotten thing of the past? Is it even possible to completely forget about your desires? As humans, we are mentally wired to want more than we currently have. If we stop wanting, hoping, dreaming, and envisioning, then how far will we really go?

Most all inventions started with a simple fantasy. The lightbulb, for example, wasn’t even thought of until much later civilization. Even though most people were content with the old fashioned ‘candle and stick,’ Graham Bell thought differently. His imaginative brain took us farther into the future than he could’ve known. If humans all of a sudden start being content with what they have, then is there even a point to continue on? What’s left?

Just like it’s human nature to dream, it’s also human nature to destroy. When you see a puppy, the first thing you want to do is squeeze it extremely hard. Why? It’s because our brains are unable to comprehend the cuteness. We are manufactured to destroy. Optimism is the only way to maneuver around natural human error.

Optimism provides a way out. An escape. A rescue. A liberation from what’s going on. In this context, optimism is certainly necessary. It serves to create a means of utopia in the present, and faith for the future. That sense of utopia relaxes the brain and allows us to concentrate on what the solution could be, or the ‘cup half full’ phenomenon.

Psychology Today tells us that “optimism can also help reduce a person’s stress…” and that optimists are “less susceptible to the negative effects of illness, fatigue, and depression.” While realists and pessimists might be the more logical thinkers, having a dash of optimism couldn’t necessarily hurt. Sometimes, a safety net of comfort and assurance is just what someone might need to persist through their conflict.

It takes a special kind of person to constantly stay positive. Understandably, a lot of people are not constructed to see the good in difficult affairs. Every so often, life brings too much pain. So much, in fact, that it is almost impossible to conceive an improvement. At that point, they are at a standstill. A rise in doubtful thinking starts to begin. Without optimism, they might contemplate: “Why do I carry on?” A lot of people feel this way, sadly. What they lack in hope, they make up for in disbelief.

This is why optimism is still important in the world. Crises can be averted, but nothing can stop them from coming. Optimism can inspire people to dream big and never give up. It can keep people from ending their life, and also from ending others. Optimism is the tool for prosperity and longevity, deeming it absolutely necessary.