The idiom “rose-colored glasses” suggests that perpetual optimists may not see the world realistically. The origin of the idiom is uncertain, but it may have been inspired by romantic imagery in artwork or by cartographers using rose petals to clean their lenses. Looking at the world through filtered lenses was familiar in the 19th century, and some people may have preferred a purified version of reality. It could be argued that a person looking at a situation through rose-colored glasses is making a conscious choice to accept or not accept certain realities.
If you’ll allow me to shamelessly crush two idioms, what an extravagant optimist really needs is a pair of rose-colored glasses. Both idioms suggest the same basic premise, that a perpetual optimist might not see the world very realistically. By wearing rose-colored glasses, a person’s understanding of a situation or circumstance would be unnaturally filtered or slowed down. While a more optimistic worldview isn’t in itself a bad idea, deliberately not acknowledging the unpleasant or negative aspects of human experience can be a form of delusion or denial.
The origin of the “rose-colored glasses” idiom is still a mystery to this day, although there are some interesting and plausible theories. The idea of an idyllic pink worldview can be traced back to at least the 17th century. Most likely the popularity of romantic imagery in artwork inspired viewers to associate optimism with rose gardens and the deep reds they saw. The Victorians were certainly familiar with the idea of a “rosy glow” or “painting a rosy picture.” Looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses could be an extension of painting alien roses to liven up a painting or decoration.
Another theory involves early cartographers and their special corrective lenses. Because creating maps required great attention to detail, cartographers needed to keep the lenses of their eyeglasses especially clean and free from scratches.
Some believe these cartographers would use rose petals to clean dust or other contaminants from their lenses. The natural oils in the rose petal protected the lenses, but often left a pink stain. Therefore, looking at the world through rose-colored glasses would be the equivalent of focusing all one’s attention on the smallest details and ignoring the realities of the larger world around one.
The idea of looking through filtered lenses was also familiar in the 19th century. Some people may have been accused of looking through blue or green glasses, which would have altered their perception of reality. Perhaps the same concept of a filtered worldview was applied philosophically to the eternal optimists who preferred a purified or filtered version of reality to one in which they were forced to live by circumstances beyond their control.
One of the funnier theories suggests that the “rose colored glasses” weren’t eyeglasses at all, but rather bar glasses. Looking at the world through the bottom of a glass filled with red wine or rose spirits could be considered the same as jaunty optimism. Whether the soft-focused worldview was inspired by alcohol or an optimistic philosophy, it could be argued that a person looking at a situation through rose-colored glasses is making a conscious choice to accept or not accept certain realities.
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