Do you hope for the best, but prepare for the worst?

Question

Do you expect good things to happen, or plan for disaster? Do you hedge your bets, just in case?

Why?

Answer 1

optimistically speaking, my guardian angel (or the guy upstairs, if that's your thing) has been very kind to me. i hope for the best and mostly have been rewarded with a happy life... i believe that removing negative thoughts (and people, unfortunately) from my environment makes me have a better shot at experiencing 'the best'. optimism, love, well-wishes are contagious. is it karma or just fair play? doesn't matter what you call it...

(contingency plans are for long term planners. i hope for and expect good things to happen... and usually they do!)

Answer 2

Hope for the best. Expect the worst obstacles. then DO my best.

there is a difference between planning and actually doing. i am a realistic optimist most of the time. so i always expect the best. but i also know that things might go wrong along the way, that is where the worst expectations come in. if you expect the worst, you will know your way how to get past it and still have the best possible outcome. if you didnt expect the worst, you'll be helpless if it does come your way. it's all about self-preservation.

Answer 3

I hope the best things will happen always.. they don't . Being unprepared for what life will throw at you causes things like people sitting on roofs after Katrina starving.

Somewhere somehow most people have come up with the idea that they can live with their head in the clouds and "GOD FORBID" some tragedy should accrue that the government or others will come rescue them and make everything right or better for them. That others are always responsible for the publics welfare.

No one should live their life in fear that something bad is lurking around every corner,,, there has to be a balance.

Answer 4

I used to live my life exactally how you described above. It was built into me via my parents. ...Well, out in the real world, things dont always go how you planned no matter how prepared you are.

After years of trial and error, i finally came to the conclusion that one can not afford to be spending too much time planning for the worse. If you do, it is taking your focus away from your actual goal. And i know it sounds silly, but if you visualize the bad too much, you are creating that for your destiny. One more point... planning for the worse creates stress, which fogs thinking and generally lessens ones performance at whatever. It can actually keep you from getting what you want.

If things DO go wrong, deal with it then. Otherwise, focus all the thought twards the goal you want and how to achieve it.


Good luck!

Answer 5

Actually its prepare for the best expect the worst and it will always fall somewhere between. and if it was worse then you expected it, if it was best then you where ready for it. I am not a betting man so why hedge?

Answer 6

That is the only way to live, because I cant bear with the worst outcome happening. If you can tolerate the worst, then why prepare for it, simply expect a medium and hope for the best rather then expect the worst. Thats my logic anyways.

Answer 7

There is an old saying: "Trust in God but tie up your camel". It is okay to be an optomist, but bad things happen to the best of optomists too. In other words, always have backup plans even if things appear to be going well and definitely hedge your bets.

Answer 8

Always...you should always do things "just in case", even if the chances aren't as high as they could be. Preparation is the best way to live.

Answer 9

Always. No matter how sure I am that something's going to go as planned, I always ask myself what are my alternatives, just in case. I don't know if that's a character flaw or just being practical.

Answer 10

I hope for the best and expect the best. Expectation is part of outcome.