Erlkönig: optimism.shtml

[collected 2003-02-21]

Optimism - Unknown

In order to better understand people's views of the world, a researcher once
placed two children, one a pessimist and the other an optimist, alone in
separate rooms.

The pessimist was placed in a colorful room full of all kinds of imaginative
toys...the optimist was put in a room filled with horse manure. The first
child played in the room for a little while, but soon came to the door
asking to leave because the toys were boring and because they broke too
easily.

Likewise, the young optimist soon came to the door...but rather than asking
to leave, she asked for a shovel. Of course, the researcher asked the child
why she wanted a shovel. She replied, "With all this manure around, I know
that there must be a pony in here somewhere."