We live in an age intoxicated with optimism, an optimism that flatters human nature, promises endless progress, and yet quietly erodes our sense of truth. But when man forgets his own brokenness, hope itself begins to collapse. This book journeys into that tension between optimism and pessimism, showing how each has shaped philosophy, theology, and culture. From the utopian dreams of Rousseau to the despair of Schopenhauer, from the wisdom of Augustine and Aquinas to the mystical depth of John of the Cross, the great struggle has always been the same: how do we understand man in light of both his dignity and his fall? Here is a vision that dares to recover the forgotten half of the equation. By restoring a sober awareness of sin and limitation, a deeper horizon opens-a horizon where true optimism is found not in man's strength, but in God's goodness. It is a call to balance, to clarity, and to a hope that endures because it is rooted in reality.