Our method of defining our surroundings has a lot to do with our 
attitude.  Attitude can also turn anxiety to serenity and make the 
discordant become harmonious.  Compare the man who sees a glass of  
water as half empty to the man who KNOWS it to be half full!  A positive 
or negative view illustrates the effect of definition in thinking and in 
perception.

    The future should never be defined as "half empty" as a positive 
attitude is to be favored, at first,  while studying the future, thus 
contributing to the full benefit of futurlogics.  Pessimism versus optimism  
is an old debate; we have heard the benefits and detriments of 
either emphasized.  Later we will see that these are merely tools of the 
good futurist.  They should not be accepted as the complete approach. 
In the meantime, we are to remember while assuming the positive or 
the optimistic stance, how we define our world will influence how we  
live in the world.

     Everything has either a beginning, middle or ending, depending 
upon our definition or point of reference.  In reality, what is a 
beginning of one is the middle of another; also what is the middle of 
some other is the ending of still another.   Until we realize this power 
that definition has over our attitude, we will not understand that 
beginnings, middles, and endings are at the same time endings, middles,  
and beginnings.  All of this has much to do with our ability to 
study the future.  Some persons see every event as an ending; this will 
foster a doomsday attitude leading to a negative outlook, which is not 
always useful.  Again, those who see the middle of every action are 
sensory bound and value is measured in terms of material hard reality. 
The beginning-man is the one in the best position because he has the 
perspective of seeing everything progressing in its natural time order. 
He may conceive the whole of reality as it develops in sequence--first 
to last.