A Sample Test to Test Your Positive Thinking

If you want to be an optimist, but don't know if your optimism is genuine or not, take this simple test.

It’s a powerful tool for those who want to do more than simply blithely say they are an optimist: it can help you become one.

How does it work?  By gradually increasing the number of challenges in life until you find the point where pessimism kicks in – and then decide how many challenges is too much for you.

If your test begins with the smallest number of challenges, and you can stay above that line, you are demonstrating a basic optimism.

But if it is easy for you to find yourself below that line, perhaps because many or all of your challenges are beyond your control, then you may be demonstrating a much higher level of optimism.

What happens if they’re both at the same low level?  That's perfectly fine: it depends on where you sit in life – in which case it’s a sign you have very high levels of optimism.

So let's get started.

First, write down the number of challenges you are facing right now and the number that are out of your control.  If you have no control over them, this is a good measure of your level of optimism.  If you have no challenges at all then that is more than optimistic!

Mark on a scale of 1-5 how much control you think you do have over each challenge: 1 = no control, 2=some control, 3 = some but not much, 4 = most but not all and 5 = complete control.  This will give us a rough idea how optimistic or pessimistic you are likely to be about each challenge.

Now, decide in which direction you want to move.  If you want to increase the number of challenges in a positive way, choose 2+. If you want to decrease them, choose -2+.  You are now ready for the test.  Here it is:

There may be some challenges that are either too tough or not tough enough for you – for instance if you have no control over them at all. But I've left this out of your calculations as we're aiming for a realistic average here.

Here is a simple graph you can use to score yourself:

0 = you are an optimist, but not an extreme one. You have low levels of optimism.  The intention was to illustrate not show a real scale.  You can, if you want, add them up in each direction if it helps you understand what is going on.

If you're an optimist and would like me to provide more insight on your results, please send me a copy of your results by email and I will post it here for everyone to see.

Note: In case you need a more extensive version of this test, I've provided it here. If you want to know how and why I created it, read this post.