There’s no need to be optimistic all the time in every scenario (this is impossible).
Does the idea of optimistic nihilism resonate with you? How about realistic or cautious optimism? The chances are that certain optimistic viewpoints will appeal to you more than others. Reflect on what optimism looks like for you. Becoming more optimistic is like any new habit: it requires motivation and practice to become second-nature.Ģ. If you’re used to seeing the “glass half empty,” you won’t be able to just walk away from reading this article and be optimistic all the time. However, you are certainly capable of exploring and practicing more optimistic ways of thinking, which over time may become second-nature. As I mentioned earlier, you will likely never be solely optimistic. In his book Learned Optimism, founder of the positive psychology movement Martin Seligman proposes that optimism is not a trait that you are born with, but rather a habitual way of thinking that can be learned like any other. For any thought pattern to become habitual, it just takes practice. You likely learned pessimistic thought patterns growing up - do your parents also tend towards pessimism? While this may be frustrating, it is also encouraging: anything that can be learned can be unlearned. You may be reading this article because you tend towards pessimism. While optimism is, to a certain extent, a trait that might not change that much over time, evidence does support the idea that levels of optimism can change (Segerstrom, 2007). If you have read this far, you may be convinced that a more optimistic outlook might benefit you in various ways. Optimistic people believe that they will be able to solve their problems so do not fall into a pit of despair.
This active approach to problem-solving likely also explains the inverse relationship between optimism and hopelessness, which is a key risk factor for depression (Alloy et al., 2006). Since optimists actively engage in problem-solving, they are more likely to successfully alleviate their problems and be happier as a result. This is in contrast with pessimists who tend to engage in avoidant coping methods, such as distracting themselves. As such, in times of adversity, optimists tend to engage in active coping methods, such as considering and enacting practical solutions to alleviate problems. As mentioned earlier, optimists are generally more likely to engage in goal-oriented behavior because they are more confident that they can achieve those goals. One of the reasons for this association between optimism and well-being is the way optimists cope with problems. Have you generally held an optimistic or pessimistic outlook for the future? How do you think this outlook has affected your sense of well-being? As a timely example, it might be helpful to reflect on where your thoughts have been during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, optimistic people tend to report higher levels of subjective well-being in times of adversity (Carver et al., 2010). Research supports the common-sense notion that optimistic people are happier than pessimistic people. In contrast, an individual who attributes a past failure to bad luck is more likely to hold an optimistic outlook for the future. If an individual believes that their past failures stem from innate and unchanging character flaws, for example, they are more likely to hold a pessimistic outlook for the future. Specifically, this theory differentiates between whether individuals attribute past failures to stable or unstable causes. Some researchers, such as Peterson and Seligman, believe that expectations for the future stem from how individuals interpret past failures (1984). Later on, we will see some examples of this phenomenon. How do you think these beliefs influence the likelihood of doing certain behaviors? Research has shown that optimists are more likely to engage in goal-oriented behavior (and achieve these goals as a result). This theory reflects the central difference between optimists and pessimists. This confidence in achieving one’s goals tends to be a trait: some people expect to achieve their goals more often than not, while others expect not to reach their goals more often than not. Specifically, the expectancy-value theory posits that behavior is guided by the strength of an individual’s desire to reach a goal (value) and their confidence in achieving that goal (expectancy) (Scheier & Carver, 1992). To understand why optimists and pessimists might experience life differently, we can take a quick look at behavior theory.
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