What is Tragic Optimism

Tragic optimism is the concept of genuine optimism even in the face of extremely negative circumstances. In logotherapy, this is represented with the "tragic triad" of pain, guilt and death. While each element of the tragic triad can cause immense grief, Frankl contends that keeping an optimistic mindset allows people the opportunity to turn suffering into achievement, improve oneself, and act to take responsibility. Optimism cannot be simply forced into one's mind across all situations.