at and t cellular: Word of the Day: Pangloss

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Saturday, February 24, 2024

noun

1. A person who is optimistic regardless of the circumstances.

"As the storm soaked through our tent, my Pangloss of a husband suggested it was a chance to test our waterproof sleeping bags."

"When our flight was delayed, the Pangloss in front of me cheered for the opportunity to get a meal at the airport."

"My sister can find the silver lining in almost any situation, but she's also a realist, not a Pangloss."

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French, late 18th century

In Voltaire's 1759 satire, "Candide, or Optimism," the French Enlightenment writer and philosopher introduced Doctor Pangloss. This character was a satirical jab at metaphysical optimism, a popular theory of the time. To summarize very briefly, metaphysical optimism proposed that the actual world was the best possible one. ...