One of the most important ideologies any person can ever live by is the prospect that the “”good”” can always be found in any situation. To live or swear by any other contrasting principles would be depriving to you. Skepticism and cynicism can only go so far before you’ve left yourself without a hope in the world, literally.

The old adage “”seeing the glass as half-full”” as opposed to “”half-empty”” is something that is too often dismissed as a cliché and, therefore, a meaningless statement. If nothing else, it is important to note that the possibilities within life offer countless “”good”” outcomes if you allow yourself to see and believe in them.

Take the idea of flight. Not too long ago, there were people who thought the concept of anyone being capable of levitation in any situation to be completely foolish and ridiculous. Yet they soon proved wrong in their objections. Starting with the Wright Brothers, skeptics of flight were gradually shown to be the ones who were given to ridiculous beliefs. Now, flight is possible for nearly every person capable of walking under their own weight.

Like flight, space travel was something thought to be hardly probable. Yet again, with the belief of people and the progression of technology to back it, humanity easily broke through two barriers: human skepticism and the Earth’s atmosphere. Neil Armstrong, after years of preparation, was able to walk on the surface of the moon and utter those infamous words: “”That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”” Now, space travel is something that is looked at as a possible and enticing subject, opening the door to many other possibilities never before considered. All of this once again proves that skeptics are foolish in their blatant and extremist disbeliefs.

In line with both of the aforementioned ideals, less than a century ago flying was something for Superman, space was only explored by Captain Kirk and the Enterprise, and robots were a luxury only Will Robinson could afford. No longer. As recently as this year, the Phoenix Mars Lander, led by the UA, flew to Mars and proceeded to explore its surface, defying even further those who were given to skepticism.

On another note, optimism can be a much more personal idea. In relation to university life, it’s time to breathe. For many of us, November is a month filled with stress, panic and discouragement. To most, midterms seemed like proof that the end of the world is fast approaching. Yet now that they’re over, it would seem that they are more telling of the end of the semester, and thus the beginning of a much-needed break.

Even though finals are looming around the corner and the ever present question of what classes to take next semester seems ominous and intimidating, the thought that after this and next semester you will be all the more closer to finishing pointless classes should provide at least a small breath of relief and motivation.

Finally, there is the much broader personal view, the wide-angle lens that includes our country’s most recent major occurrence: the presidential election. Though it is obvious we may not all agree on certain topics involving our country, and though we may not all have voted for the newest president-elect, cynicism and despair are still ideals that promote regression instead of progression. Because we can be, it’s our job to be resilient and make the best of the situation. Like flight and space travel, the idea of a black president was, for a long time, a laughable ideal and should be celebrated as a breakthrough in progress for our country, regardless of your political preference. Great things are achievable regardless of the situation.

It’s imperative that we avoid regression through pessimism because optimistic outlooks yield the best outcomes and just as the late Phoenix Mars Lander has shown, there are good possibilities no matter where you go.

– Isaac Mohr is a journalism freshman. He can be reached at letters@wildcat. arizona.edu