Optimistic Skeptic . . . Or Is It Skeptical Optimist?

There are two theories of trust out there. One is considered "100 to 0" and says that you trust someone until that person gives you a reason to stop. The other is "0 to 100" and says that people have to earn your trust. I'm in the latter camp. I'm a skeptical person. But that skepticism is often misinterpreted as pessimism, which I'm not. I'm an optimist and want to believe in the best in everything. So yes, I'm an optimistic skeptic...or a skeptical optimist.

That's why I love Jimmy Fallon's newest segment, in which he gets real newscasters to give good news, or news that we wish we would hear. There's a lot of bad news out there and you could be forgiven for thinking that the world is a scary place. From Islamic militants in the Middle East to missing children in Maryland, it's easy to get depressed and retreat to the dark corner of the room. And that's what makes the below videos so amazing. It's hard to pick my favorite news story, but there's no way you don't get into a good mood watching it.

So I may not be the most trusting person out there--I'm still skeptical of your intentions--but I'm optimistic that there's more good than bad in this world and that people in general can win me over. As Lemony Snicket says:

At times the world may seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe that there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough.