The Optimism Test

Do you know someone who seems to always have a smile and a positive thought? Hardships are seen as ‘learning experiences’ by these people, and even the most miserable day always holds the promise for them that ‘tomorrow will probably be better’? Or are you yourself one of these people: full of optimism?

The benefits of optimism have been proven many times over by research. Optimists enjoy better health and increased longevity over pessimists, experience less stress, and achieve more in life. While much of our personality traits are inborn, you can influence your child’s tendency toward optimistic or pessimistic thinking: optimism can be taught! Here are some ways you can help instill this valuable trait and raise the optimistic child:

Research indicates that human beings are wired for happiness. So why are so many of us so unhappy? In this powerful guide to self-healing psychologist Bob Murray, Ph.D., and therapist Alicia Fortinberry draw upon recent studies in neurobiology, psychiatry, and genetics to reveal how the psychological and physical stresses of modern life overwhelm our natural healing mechanisms and foster depression and anxiety by separating us from what truly makes us human.

Humanity involves specialization. It's better to have an excellent musician who can barely count his/her money and an excellent mathematician who can sing out-of-tune at holiday parties once a year, than two people who are reasonably good at both subjects. Explorers tend to have difficulty with organizing, and to be good at creative thinking. So let's spend a small part of our time working at getting somewhat organized, and a large part of our time practicing being very creative.

Optimism bias is the demonstrated systematic tendency for people to be over-optimistic about the outcome of planned actions. People tend to see the future through "rose-colored glasses," as the saying goes. Optimism bias applies to professionals and laypeople alike. Optimism bias arises in relation to estimates of costs and benefits and duration of tasks. It must be accounted for explicitly in appraisals, if these are to be realistic

"I can 'learn' optimism?" Yep, according to psychologist Dr. Martin Seligman, you sure can...and if you believe the research, you probably should! We all know that optimists see the glass as half-full while pessimists see it as half-empty. But, that doesn't come close to doing justice to the importance of optimism and how it affects our lives. Martin Seligman, one of the leading psychologists in the world, has spent the last three and a half decades researching the influence of optimism on our lives. Much of his work is presented in his book Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life.