The Hoplessly Positive Are Hopeless

Some people are hopelessly positive. It sounds like the least significant problem somebody could have, and maybe it is, but it can still be an annoyance to have to deal with. We are trained from a young age that every problem has a solution, and that brains always beat brawn, so a plan is always the clear winner (despite the fact that the best-laid plans are oft to go awry).

The problem with hopelessly positive people is that they're hopeless. Unless they live in a world where faith can overcome fate (and there are certainly a great number of stories that take place in such a world), then such a person would one day get completely crushed. There is such a thing as insurmountable odds. There is such a thing as a no-win situation. If everything is against you, it doesn't matter how plucky you are. You either run or get flattened.

I think this is the reason that I have issues with most stories aimed at children. They all tell us that a good attitude can solve any and all problems, and that as long as you believe hard enough, you will always make it through any difficulties you come across. These are lessons that warp people's minds and make reality a torturous punishment to enter as an adult. (Imagine how you would feel on the day you find out that everything you had ever been taught is a straight-up lie, and that it's far, far worse than you expected.)

Pragmatic, practical, realistic characters are the ones we should idolize. They are people we can reasonably expect to be as adults with enough effort. They may not be super-powered, but they are attainable. Having a hero that you could eventually become as great as should be inspiring. And that's what children's stories should do.