How Did Winston Churchill A Pessimist Sees The Difficulty In Each Opportunity?

Winston Churchill once said, "a pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”. Churchill was extolled for his leadership in the face of adversity and achieved great success in World War II because of the way he viewed problems as opportunities. People can most successfully respond to conflict with optimism. Some people believe that optimists don’t live in reality and can’t see the true extent of a problem. However, optimists fight hard to find solutions and regain a sense of control when adversity strikes. Also, research suggests that optimists develop more positive ways of explaining disappointing events allowing them to cope with disappointment. Finally, optimism helps people
For instance, in the Diary of Anne Frank, it reads, “You no doubt want to hear what I think of being in hiding. Well, all I can say is that I don’t really know yet. I don’t think I’ll ever feel at home in this house, but that doesn’t mean I hate it. It’s more like being on vacation in some strange pension”(Frank). Anne chose a more positive way of viewing her hiding and saw it more like a vacation instead of a type of imprisonment. This positive outlook allowed Anne to not hate her time in hiding and make the most of it. Further, Steve Jobs, in his graduation address to Stanford University said, “I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.” Further, Steve Jobs was able to change his disappointment of being fired by finding the positive things that came from it. This positivity allowed him to continue to grow professionally and not become depressed and unproductive. Lastly, a recent study on stress indicated that the burden of stress that usually accompanies any new problem is less intimidating when the problem is viewed in a positive light (INC SOURCE). People who choose to view problems with a hopeful
For example, Frankl stated, “The attempt to develop a sense of humor and to see things in a humorous light is some kind of a trick learned while mastering the art of living. Yet it is possible to practice the art of living even in a concentration camp” (Frankl). Viktor Frankl understood that it was not only possible to keep his sense of humor but necessary while being imprisoned and mistreated. Maintaining a sense of humor during hardship provides a way for people to process emotions more effectively. In addition, Anne Frank wrote, “But where there’s hope, there’s life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again” (Frank). Anne’s emotional strength was renewed and strengthened by her optimistic outlook. A positive outlook can keep hope alive and allow a person to persevere through conflict when their thoughts are focused on the future. Finally, in a letter from Louise Ogawa, it reads, “If American soldiers can endure hardships so can we!”(Oppenheim). Louise detailed her sub-standard living conditions at an Arizona internment camp but still chose to stay optimistic. This observation allowed her to have an emotional lift and the will to endure longer in her difficult circumstance. People gain emotional power during difficult times by making the choice to focus on the