Neil: I'm Neil.
Sam: And I'm Sam.
Neil: We often hear phrases such as,
'dream big' or, 'reach for the stars' which reflect an optimistic view of life.
Are you an optimist, Sam?
Sam: I hope so!
I try to see the positive side of life,
even when something bad happens.
Neil: It sounds like you're a glass-half-full person –
someone who always thinks that good things will happen.
Sam: How about you, Neil?
Are you optimistic?
Neil: Look, things go wrong all the time - that's a fact of life.
Call me a pessimist if you like but I'm just being realistic.
Sam: Hmm, it sounds like Neil is more of a glass-half-empty person,
but the truth is that the age-old debate
between optimism and pessimism is more complex than we think.
Neil: Yes, whether you're a sunny optimist or a gloomy pessimist
may be determined more by your birthplace and your age than your attitude,
as we'll be finding out in this programme.