We think of optimism or pessimism as an
affect of our circumstances, that is, as an emotional reaction determined by what's happened in our lives. Academy Award winning director Guillermo del Toro (
The Shape of Water, 2018) says that it's
a willed choice:
 |
A love story with an
amphibian won Best
Picture. No wonder
he's optimistic. |
Optimism is radical. It is the hard choice, the brave choice....
History and fable have both proven that nothing is ever entirely lost. David can take Goliath. A beach in Normandy can turn the tide of war. Bravery can topple the powerful. These facts are often seen as exceptional, but they are not. Every day, we all become the balance of our choices—choices between love and fear, belief or despair. No hope is ever too small.
If you ask most people what their hopes are for themselves and their children, it is that they find happiness. Guillermo del Toro seems to be saying that all they have to do is to
choose to be happy. Can it be that simple?
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