1. That you’re just naïve to how the world works.
Clearly you just don’t get it yet, right? Your cheery disposition means you’re young to how things happen and, in time, you’ll learn the truth. Um, or maybe you DO know and BECAUSE of that you’ve decided to look at things glass half-full. People will accuse you of wearing rose-colored glasses, but maybe they’re just jealous that they don’t have a pair.
2. That you’ve never experienced loss or trauma.
You obviously just haven’t really been through anything.
-_- Puhleaseeee. Ignore that idiotic bull. You can suffer extreme loss and still maintain a positive attitude. Some people just do. And it’s never something to feel shamed for. Keep on shining. We could all use a solid flashlight to wade through the dark.
3. That you’re “faking” it.
No one is really like that. You’re just trying to impress someone, or pulling this fakey-nice-nice veil to get away with something else. God forbid you’re just a kind person who believes in the good, even if you’ve seen your fair share of the opposite.
4. That you don’t have any real problems.
Some of the strongest people I’ve known aren’t exactly the people you’d assume have triumphed against terrible odds. The goofy ones. The class clowns, looking at silver linings when everyone else can only see clouds. The human spirit of survival looks different for everyone. Maybe this mentality is how they carry onward. Don’t judge.
5. That you’ve never experienced depression.
Everyone gets sad. No one is disputing that. But depression is something very different. Whether it’s chronic or situational, depression can hit anyone. It doesn’t pick and choose based on how smiley someone seems, or if look as though they walk around with the weight of the world on their shoulders. Depression doesn’t solely exist in pessimists (you can be a pessimist and never struggle with depression), and it doesn’t skip over all the optimists. It can hit anyone, any time.
6. Or anxiety.
Same can be said with anxiety. We all release a little cortisol (the main stress hormone) from time to time. But chronic anxiety disorders don’t only show up in visibly Woody Allen-level neurotic people. Some people are very talented at covering up what’s really going on inside. You never truly know. Unless you know. Ya know?
7. That you’re always happy.
You’re human, so…no. You aren’t always happy. Because you aren’t a weird robot??? Optimists can (and do) have off-days.
8. That you’ve always got the right thing to say.
Just because you try to stay positive in situations doesn’t mean you aren’t just as lost as everyone else. You love being there for the people you care about, and giving advice when you can, but that doesn’t mean you’ve got words of wisdom for every situation. All you can promise is that you’ll listen and love. And that’s really what matters.
9. That you can’t be logical.
There’s this terrible idea that people who are excited about life, those who look at the world like it’s full of greatness (even if they know the bad shit also exists) are somehow not logical beings. They function based on emotion and emotion only. Nope. Not true. They are just as intelligent and able to think things through as their “realistic” comrades, they just do so with a hope that things will work out for the better. And honestly? We all need those individuals in our lives. 
