Theories Personality Psychology How Much of an Optimist Are You? Increased health & happiness & decreased stress are top benefits of optimism. By Elizabeth Scott, MS Updated October 25, 2016 Share Flip Email More in Theories Personality Psychology Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Behavioral Psychology Cognitive Psychology Developmental Psychology Social Psychology Biological Psychology Psychosocial Psychology 1. You get a speeding ticket and you forget your wallet at home. You think: Ariel Skelley/Getty Images "This must not be my day!" "I am so unlucky!" 2. You find a dollar on the street. You think: Eleonora Grasso Photography/Getty Images "Yay! How lucky!" "Hey, I'm pretty observant!" 3. You get an "A" on an exam. You think: Katrina Wittkamp/Getty Images "Wow! I'm smart!" "Wow! I was prepared!" 4. You win a trivia contest. You think: Roy Mehta/Getty Images "Wow, I got lucky with those questions! They were all ones I knew!" "Wow, I sure must know my trivia. I guess I have a good memory!" 5. You get hired for a job, even though the other applicants were extremely qualified. You think: BraunS/iStock "I must be more qualified than I gave myself credit for!" "I must have interviewed really well!" 6. You're trying to figure out a new computer program, and after hours of work, it still eludes you. You think: JGI/Tom Grill/Getty Images "Wow, technology has become SO complicated! It'll take me a little longer to finally get this." "I'm just not 'wired' to understand computers! I'm going to fall behind, but what can I do?" 7. You start a new workout program, and are really sore the next day. You think: Jacob Wackerhausen/iStock "Wow, I must be out of shape!" "Wow, I worked hard yesterday!" 8. You find you don't have the money to pay all your bills at the end of the month. You think: PeopleImages.com/Getty Images "It's been a slow month for business. Things will pick up next month." "I'm not good at managing money. This is a serious problem!" 9. Your child is the "Student of the Month". You think: Peter Dazeley/Getty Images "Wow! My child is a really hard worker." "Wow! My child is really lucky to get this honor." 10. You've planned a party in the park, but it rains on party day. You think: Matthias Ritzmann/Getty Images "I should have planned better. I'm not really good with parties." "Well, this is unlucky! My next party will be much more successful." 11. Someone flips you off in traffic. You think: Hola Images/Getty Images "People are so rude!" "That person must be having a bad day." 12. A stranger on the street complements your outfit. You think: Leonardo Patrizi/Getty Images "I must be wearing a nice outfit today." "I must have good fashion sense." 13. You meet an important business contact at a party. You think: Chris Garrett/Getty Images "Lucky me! I was in the right place at the right time." "I was smart to come to this party tonight!" 14. You miss a flight and have to wait for another one. You think: Blend Images/John Lund/Getty Images "If only there wasn't so much traffic! I guess I'll make the next flight." "I should have planned better. I'm always late, and I knew this would happen!" 15. You've been working hard at dieting, and you lose 10 pounds. You think: Dave & Les Jacobs/Getty Images "This diet really works! I hope I can lose more." "My hard work is paying off! I'll be at my target weight in no time." How Much of an Optimist Are You? You got: Yay, You're An Optimist! Andy Ryan/ Getty Images You may have thought you were an optimist before taking this quiz, and perhaps felt optimistic because so many of the answers sounded positive. The part of this quiz that confuses many people is the fact that many of the questions contain two answers that sound positive; the difference is why. Optimists tend to take credit for what goes right in their lives, ascribing the reasons to more permanent aspects of their personality, while they may find extenuating circumstances to share some of the blame when things go wrong. While it's important to be aware of your mistakes so that you can correct them next time, it really helps to give yourself credit when credit is due, and to keep from beating yourself up when things go wrong--you seem to have a handle on these things! Below are more resources on optimism and pessimism. THIS TOOL DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. It is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical consultation, diagnosis or treatment. Share Your Results Share Pin Tweet How Much of an Optimist Are You? You got: You're Half-Full, Half-Empty Yagi Studio/Getty Images You seem to be more optimistic than some, but not as much as others; you're doing pretty well already, but you could benefit from a little more information and effort toward optimism. The part of this quiz that confuses many people is the fact that many of the questions contain two answers that sound positive; the difference is why. Optimists tend to take credit for what goes right in their lives, ascribing the reasons to more permanent aspects of their personality, while they may find extenuating circumstances to share some of the blame when things go wrong. While it's important to be aware of your mistakes so that you can correct them next time, it really helps to give yourself credit when credit is due, and to keep from beating yourself up when things go wrong--you seem to have a handle on these things! Below are more resources on optimism and pessimism, and they should be helpful for you. THIS TOOL DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. It is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical consultation, diagnosis or treatment. Share Your Results Share Pin Tweet How Much of an Optimist Are You? You got: You Could Benefit From A Little More Optimism Cultura/Liam Norris/ Getty Images You seem to be less optimistic that you could be, and probably could benefit from a little more information and effort toward optimism. The part of this quiz that confuses many people is the fact that many of the questions contain two answers that sound positive; the difference is why. Optimists tend to take credit for what goes right in their lives, ascribing the reasons to more permanent aspects of their personality, while they may find extenuating circumstances to share some of the blame when things go wrong. While it's important to be aware of your mistakes so that you can correct them next time, it really helps to give yourself credit when credit is due, and to keep from beating yourself up when things go wrong--you seem to have a handle on these things! Below are more resources on optimism and pessimism, and they should be quite helpful for you. THIS TOOL DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. It is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical consultation, diagnosis or treatment. Share Your Results Share Pin Tweet Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Have you ever wondered what your personality type means? Or maybe you wanted to know whether you’re left-brained or right-brained? Sign up to get these answers, and more, delivered straight to your inbox. Email Address Sign Up There was an error. Please try again. Thank you, , for signing up. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit