Read Mind Gym for Free Online Page B

to doubt they were telling the truth. ____
    d. My friends will never want to visit me again. ____
      5. I get lost on my way to visit a friend.
    a. I can see where I went wrong; it’ll be easier next time. ____
    b. I am a lousy navigator. ____
    c. My friend’s directions are useless. ____
    d. My friend will be very upset that I’m late. ____
      6. I read an article in the newspaper that gives me the information I need to impress a client.
    a. It’s a good thing I keep up to date with current affairs. ____
    b. What a fluke. ____
    c. Good things happen to me. ____
    d. I suspect my client knows the information already. ____
      7. My team wins a game in a two-on-two basketball tournament.
    a. We’re a great team. ____
    b. The opposition must not be very good. ____
    c. I am a fantastic basketball player. ____
    d. It was all thanks to my partner. ____
      8. My partner / close friend really likes the birthday present I bought her.
    a. I am good at buying presents. ____
    b. Thank goodness she gave me a hint. ____
    c. I bet there aren’t many partners/friends who would have chosen so well. ____
    d. I’ll never be able to get her something as good for Christmas. ____
      9. I cook dinner for friends and they praise my food.
    a. I’m a good cook. ____
    b. My friends are easily pleased. ____
    c. When I really try at something, I can make a success of it. ____
    d. There wasn’t anything special about it. They must have low expectations about my abilities. ____
    10. Someone compliments me on my clothes.
    a. I do look good in this outfit. ____
    b. He clearly doesn’t have much of an idea about style himself. ____
    c. He must really like me. ____
    d. What a nice thing to say. ____
Your Results
    Total your points for each option ( a, b, c, d ) in the diagnostic and enter the numbers here:
    a: ______
    b: ______
    c: ______
    d: ______
    To see how much of an optimist or pessimist you tend to be, use this formula to calculate your points:
    ( a + c ) – ( b + d ) = _______
    If your total is a positive number, then you tend to think optimistically; if it is negative, then you tend to look at things pessimistically. The higher the number, the more you tend to think in this way (the maximum is 100 on either side, positive or negative).
What Kind of Optimist Are You?
    The a responses represent an attentive optimist’s typical viewpoint and c are the responses of an undiluted optimist. If your total c points are higher than your total a points, then your optimism probably needs reining in or it will be counterproductive. You are likely missing out on the “attentive” part of attentive optimism.
    If you gave 2 or more points to a c response for any statement, it suggests certain types of unrealistic optimism:
Statements
Unrealistic Optimism Types
1, 2, 4
You ignore problems . This suggests a tendency to dismiss problems that may need to be addressed. The danger is that the problem grows, though you could have taken action earlier to keep it in proportion.
3, 5
You duck responsibility . This suggests that you may not accept your share of the blame when things go wrong. This not only annoys others but also means that you will be less likely to make important changes to yourself, and so the same problem may recur.
6, 7, 9
You tend toward wishful thinking . This implies that you are looking through rose-colored glasses and extrapolating more than appears reasonable about your abilities or prospects. The danger here is that you assume things will just happen, and so you may not make enough effort to ensure they actually do.
8, 10
You overinterpret . This is similar to wishful thinking. It happens when you decide you know what other people are thinking, or are capable of doing, without much evidence to support your assumptions. You may well misinterpret their motives or underestimate their capabilities as a result.
What Kind of Pessimist Are You?
    The two pessimistic responses— b and d —have different meanings too. A b response is