![]() Instead of positioning people within a rigid dichotomy, with optimism on one side and pessimism on the other, we might think of optimism on a spectrum. How do we reconcile these contradictory views on optimism? There might be a happy medium. Research shows that optimism is linked to improved physical and mental health, including better sleep, reduced anxiety, and lower rates of depression.1 Positive psychology, a branch of psychology that focuses on what allows people to thrive and lead happy, healthy lives, tends to view optimism as a means of increasing one’s well-being. Equally, we might undertake risky behaviors like riding a bike without a helmet or driving under the influence, because we tell ourselves “bad things won’t happen to me.”īut it also goes without saying that optimism comes with plenty of advantages. This tendency leads us to engage in behaviors that may not be rational, such as not saving for an emergency fund or buying a lottery ticket, despite the odds of winning being very low. We often overestimate the likelihood of positive things happening to us and underestimate the likelihood of negative things happening to us. ![]() While not everyone feels quite this positive all of the time, in general, humans tend to be overly optimistic. They view their life from the perspective of a main character in a movie, trusting that somehow, things will work out. They’re a glass-half-full individual, always believing that good things will happen to them. We all know someone who always sees the positive side of a situation.
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