Optimism (LOT-R)

The Life Orientation Test-Revised (Scheier & Carver) measures dispositional optimism — the habit of expecting more good than bad from the future. It's not "positive thinking" or naivety, but a general sense that "things will turn out acceptably," which shapes how you act in difficulties: optimists more often keep acting, pessimists more often retreat. Optimism is not an innate fixed trait — it can be developed.

Before you start

This describes your habitual orientation toward the future, not a judgment of the "right" mindset. Both optimism and pessimism are appropriate in different situations; problems arise at the poles — when expecting the worst blocks action, or when expecting the best switches off preparation.