Have
you ever noticed how some people seem to have a zest for life while others
think that nothing ever goes their way? Who would you rather hang out with? Who
would you rather date? Research on optimism vs. pessimism has a clear answer
for you.
People
who are more optimistic, as compared to more pessimistic, experience a wide
variety of health, social, and emotional benefits because of their positive outlooks
on life (Aspinwall & Taylor, 1992; Taylor, Kemeny, Reed, Bower, & Gruenewald, 2000). In
fact, research has shown that people who are more optimistic posses higher
levels of physiological well-being (Kivimaki, Vahtera, Elovaini et al., 2005)
and are better psychologically adjusted (Carver & Gaines, 1987; Scheier,
Carver, & Bridges, 2001) than those who are more pessimistic. Dicke
(1998) found that optimisits are even preferred as romantic partners over
pessimists by most individuals, regardless of their own level of optimism or
pessimism.
In
addition to these benefits of being optimistic, there is also a social stigma
associated with being more pessimistic (Carver, Kus, & Scheier, 1994;
Hewleg-Larson, Sadeghian, & Webb, 2002). Researchers have discovered that
pessimistic people are socially rejected because individuals feel that
pessimists are hopeless, sad, and depressed (Hewleg-Larson et al., 2002).
Research has also revealed that strangers, family, and friends all negatively
view people who are unsatisfied with themselves or their lives (Furr &
Funder, 1998). Furthermore, if others perceive a stigma (like pessimism) as
controllable, individuals holding that stigma are perceived even more
negatively than if the stigma they possess is perceived as uncontrollable
(Crocker, Major, & Steele, 1998).
Need
help becoming more optimistic? Follow these 9 tips and you could be on your way
to enjoying all of the benefits that optimists enjoy everyday.
References:
·
Aspinwall, L. G., & Taylor, S.
E. (1992). Modeling cognitive
adaptation: A longitudinal investigation of the impact of individual
differences and coping on college adjustment and performance. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 63, 989-1003.
· Carver, C.S., & Gaines, J.G. (1987). Optimism, pessimism, and
postpartum depression. Cognitive Therapy
and Research, 11(4), 449-462.
· Carver, C. S., Kus, L. A., & Scheier, M. F. (1994). Effects of good
versus bad mood and optimistic versus pessimistic outlook on social acceptance
versus rejection. Journal of Social and
Clinical Psychology, 13, 138-151.
· Crocker, J., Major, B., & Steele, C. (1998). Social stigma. In D.
Gilbert, S. T. Fiske, and G. Lindsay (Eds.), The handbook of social psychology (4th edition, Vol. 2,
pp. 504-553). New York: McGraw Hill.
·
Dicke, A. K. (1998). Optimism and its effect on romantic
relationships. (Doctoral dissertation). Texas Tech University, Texas.
· Furr, R. M., & Funder, D. C. (1998). A multi-modal analysis of
personal negativity. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 1580-1591.
· Hewleg-Larson, M., Sadeghian, P., & Webb, M. S. (2002). The stigma
of being pessimistically biased. Journal
of Social and Clinical Psychology, 21, 92-107.
·
Scheier, M. F., Carver,
C. S., & Bridges, M. W. (1994). Distinguishing optimism from neuroticism
(and trait anxiety, self-mastery, and self-esteem): A reevaluation of the Life
Orientation Test. Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology, 67, 1063-1078.
· Taylor, S. E., Kemeny, M. E., Reed, G. M., Bower, J. E., &
Gruenewald, T. L. (2000). Psychological resources, positive illusions, and
health. American Psychologist, 55,
99-109.