The optimist sees the doughnut, the pessimist sees the hole

"The optimist sees the doughnut, the pessimist sees the hole". All too often, we hear such quotes regarding optimism and pessimism. It is interesting to note that optimism is often praised and extolled as a virtue whereas pessimism is seen as something to be avoided. This suggests that one should be as optimistic as they possibly could and this is in itself a good thing. I find this view rather one sided and ignores the fact that optimism and pessimism sits on either end of a single spectrum. Optimism should not be seen as a virtue in itself because in actual fact it is not. Pure optimism is recklessness and in psychiatry this can be termed mania. The world is not a fairy tale and though we very much like it to, it is not full of good. There is evil everywhere and one cannot be too careful. Applying the same reasoning, pure pessimism ignores the good that potentially exist and hinders appreciation of the beauty the world has to offer.
Thus, saying that the optimist seeing the doughnut and the pessimist seeing the hole is not entirely accurate. One must realize that a doughnut without the centre hole is just a circular bun whereas a hole without the surrounding pastry, is just empty space. It is only through a measure of both qualities shall we be capable of seeing a doughnut for what it is. Optimism is not a virtue, it is a characteristic which needs to be balanced by some measure of pessimism. To pursue one without the other is unbalanced.
It is said that one needs to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. I agree. This concept mixes optimism with pessimism. We cannot thrive without having both. Ultimately, half full, half empty, doughnut or hole, one cannot exist without the other. It is only with both that one can be complete. So next time, when someone asks if you are an optimist or pessimist, the answer should be neither. For all of us should be a pessimistic optimist or an optimistic pessimist, with the former replacing what we know as a pessimist and the latter the optimist. To be the extreme is to be insane.