[quote author=doctormark link=board=what;num=1081274592;start=0#0 date=04/06/04 at 14:03:12]There is a word that means something close to "optimistic" but means an attitude slightly more realistic than that word connotes.
I’ve lost it; might start with a "p".
Around my office the "slightly more realistic" qualifier would make the word pessimistic (see also pessimist).
Panglossian and Pollyanna do not convey the sense of reality that you are seeking.