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Optimism in Software Engineering One of the early blog posts I wrote about Compassionate Coding noted a tendency toward cynicism among software engineers (except maybe when it comes to making estimates 😉). Why might that be? As software engineers, we are conditioned to look for failure cases and security vulnerabilities, so a pessimistic view of the world may serve us well. Also, as author Colleen Patrick-Goudreau has noted, people tend to mistake cynicism for intellectualism, so perhaps engineers set on being “smart” think they need to be more negative. However, this pessimism comes at a cost. It can be detrimental to our mental and physical health, as well as our relationships. It may also hold us back from exploring new opportunities. So, is it time for us all to become Pollyanna? Maybe not. Unchecked optimism has downsides, too. It may lead to risky behavior and prevent us from seeing reality clearly. The key is moving beyond the binary thinking of optimism vs. pessimism, and instead seeking the balance that works for you. Regular reflection on our tendencies and their impact can help us determine when we need to make adjustments. If the negativity bias does have a hold on you, though, check out the Optimistic October challenge from Action for Happiness.
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