FEATURE: Are You An Optimist?

Written by Kathryn Savage

Scientists are finding that from an “evolutionary standpoint," “humans have a natural bias toward a positive outlook.”

Think about your future.
Do you see the immediate outlook as sunny? If so, you are not alone. Researchers are finding that humans may have a “neurological basis for optimism.” Studies suggest optimistic people may be happier, healthier, with a lower chance of cardiovascular ailments and lung disease. This may have to do with the amount of stress hormones released by an optimistic vs. a pessimistic person. Stress hormones like Cortisol and Adrenaline weaken the immune system. Someone with an overall happy outlook may release less stress hormones during stressful times.

Optimism affects how we live.
Newlyweds don’t fret divorce, teens don’t fear loss of vision, hearing, and other age related illnesses, and while new parents will worry, the natural tendency is to worry about a runny nose, a soiled diaper, not fretting that your bouncing baby boy may one day be an unemployed 30 year old who sleeps on your basement couch. Living, loving, and exploring new areas of life and new parts of the globe requires a degree of optimistic thought. The pioneers had to be fairly hopeful, despite a lot of stressful factors. 

Glass half-empty state of mind?
Pessimism can be good. Psychologist Julie Norem, in a recent article on optimism and pessimism in the Boston Globe calls defensive pessimism, "expecting the worst and planning accordingly" a valuable outlook. Pessimists might be better planners, more solid in their professional and financial matters.

So which one are you? An optimist? A pessimist?
Take the Boston Globe “Are You an Optimist” Quiz.

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