optimism

optimism

1. the doctrine of the ultimate triumph of good over evil

2. the philosophical doctrine that this is the best of all possible worlds

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

Optimism

See also Hope.

Bontemps, Roger

personification of cheery contentment. [Fr. Lit.: “Roger Bontemps” in Walsh Modern, 66]

Candide

beset by inconceivable misfortunes, hero indifferently shrugs them off. [Fr. Lit.: Candide]

Micawber, Mr.

sanguine gentleman, constantly “waiting for something to turn up.” [Br. Lit.: David Copperfield

Pangloss, Dr.

Candide’s incurably optimistic tutor. [Fr. Lit.: Candide]

Pollyanna

always finds something to be glad about. [Am. Lit.: Pollyanna; Am. Cinema: Pollyanna in Disney Films, 170–172]

Allusions—Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

optimism

What a programmer is full of after fixing the last bug and just before actually discovering the *next* last bug. Fred Brooks's book "The Mythical Man-Month" contains the following paragraph that describes this extremely well.

All programmers are optimists. Perhaps this modern sorcery especially attracts those who believe in happy endings and fairy god-mothers. Perhaps the hundreds of nitty frustrations drive away all but those who habitually focus on the end goal. Perhaps it is merely that computers are young, programmers are younger, and the young are always optimists. But however the selection process works, the result is indisputable: "This time it will surely run," or "I just found the last bug.".

See also Lubarsky's Law of Cybernetic Entomology.

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