Human beings are built to survive, and that’s a good thing. The problem is that survival skill requires us to be acutely aware of danger. Unfortunately, the sensitivity to threat can sometimes lead to a sense of pessimism, which can be counterproductive to the survival imperative and not in our long-term health interests.
According to research published in the journal Biomed Central, pessimism is a substantial risk factor for an early demise. If you want to be more optimistic, focus on the present. The mind is notoriously unskilled at predicting the future, and it’s always gonna be biased towards a worst case scenario. For most of us, no matter how dire the situation may be at any given moment, our basic survival needs for air, food, and water are not only being met, but they’re being met in abundance. When something negative does occur, we can re-frame and re-enable to create positives. Did we learn something valuable? Maybe we gained insight or inner strength. Maybe we bonded with a friend who is there to empathize.
The philosopher Antonio Gramsci said “it takes intelligence to be a pessimist and will to be an optimist”. So, even if it seems logical to be pessimistic, think of living from the bright side as an exercise and optimism as a nutritional supplement called “Vitamin O”. You’ll feel better in the moment, be healthier in the future, and you’ll probably be adding years to your life.
