I think people need to be balanced. Dooming all the time is gay and pointless, but we're also not in a situation it will be easy to get out of, since the entire world practically has to be remade in a new image.

But moping won't get it done. NSDAP knew this. They didn't mope and cry about how hopeless it was, they organized, spread their message, and never gave up.

Yes, "unwarranted" being the key. By another name that's "delusional" and is the enemy of preparedness. Hope is fine, even necessary, but only if it can be substantiated. To those who say faith and optimism are the key to trusting God I say that God takes care of you by giving you the sense to correctly assess the situation and work the problem.

Give us an example.

I agree with others, balance is needed, but you should always TEND to be optimistic. There is stuff you can do about your situation, then be optimistic about it and do it.

You will be naive, and you will have surprises, but you can always keep learning and see the good in every situation, take the best of it.

There is stuff you can't control, well, be optimistic about that as well and trust that God will always love you and protect you.

Mary Poppins Syndrome is not how you should live your life.

A habitual optimist is someone who is pessimistic about being realistic. I'm not even joking, I've encountered people who just cannot look at the stark reality and work from that; instead it's always overly-hopeful plans for the best outcome. Give me someone who can perceive opportunities, but be realistic about the chances and costs, be willing to take some risks trying them, but admit when they fail and regroup. Flexibility is important.

What's the old saying, "hope for the best but plan for the worst"?

You should claim things are good when they are good and bad when they are bad.

If you are going to have unwarranted optimism you should at least know why it's unwarranted and that it's unwarranted. Otherwise you're being literally dumb by definition.