What makes you pessimistic

Specifically, pessimists are often better prepared for tough times and may avoid risks that more optimistic thinkers might ignore. Research has shown that pessimists tend to foresee obstacles more readily since they expect things to go wrong. This means that they are more likely to plan for difficulties. A study in Psychology and Aging found a correlation between underestimating future life satisfaction with positive health outcomes and longevity in older adults. There are many clear drawbacks of too much pessimism.

Some of the major pitfalls of being overly pessimistic:. Optimists experience healthier stress levels and a higher perception of life satisfaction. Conversely, pessimistic people tend to experience more isolation, greater conflict and stress, poorer health, and reduced well-being. A study found that "higher optimism was associated with better physiological adjustment to a stressful situation, while higher pessimism was associated with worse psychological adjustment to stress. Another worrisome component of pessimism is that it may make stressful situations feel worse than they actually are.

On the other hand, more optimistic thinking can help significantly when coping with challenging events. Looked at a certain way, one of the biggest risks of being a pessimist is not being an optimist. Significant scientific research has found that optimists tend to be healthier, happier, more successful financially, socially, and in many other ways , and enjoy stronger and more satisfying relationships.

But living on the bright side isn't always sunny. Drawbacks of optimism include a greater propensity for taking unwarranted risks in terms of personal health and safety, such as not buckling a seatbelt or not getting a vaccine, or in finances, such as investing in a risky business venture.

Even when considering the possible drawbacks, the benefits of optimism are huge. So how can you stay optimistic without missing opportunities to keep yourself prepared for crises? There are a number of steps you can take:. The approach of hoping for the best and planning for the worst allows you to enjoy the many benefits of optimism without leaving yourself vulnerable and unprepared. To get the benefits pessimistic thinking has to offer, think about the things that can possibly go wrong, and try to find backup plans and contingencies for dealing with the unexpected.

Then, focus on the positive while keeping these backup plan options in mind. Savor and remember what you have and aim to cultivate gratitude. Make time to take inventory of your own strengths and resources. Stress results when we feel the demands of a situation exceed our resources to handle them.

Keeping your available resources in mind can reduce stress and help you feel empowered as you move through life. Practicing mindfulness is another helpful strategy. Mindfulness is a technique that involves focusing on the here and now rather than worrying about the past and future. One thing that positive psychology research has taught us is that major setbacks do not cause people to feel unhappy for as long as people predict.

After a few weeks or months, people who have experienced a major crisis generally return to their regular level of happiness or unhappiness. Optimists tend to feel happier in general, and pessimists tend to feel less happy than that.

Sometimes enduring a crisis provides you with just the right motivation to do that. In fact, it's those who have close friends and a strong sense of community, those who feel gratitude , and those who have a sense of meaning in life who feel the happiest.

Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. APA Dictionary. Pessimism is associated with greater all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, but optimism is not protective. Sci Rep. Optimism and pessimism in social context: An interpersonal perspective on resilience and risk.

J Res Pers. Forecasting life satisfaction across adulthood: Benefits of seeing a dark future? Psychol Aging. It's healthy to identify feelings when we're discouraged, and it's OK to talk about what's wrong. Confiding in someone can lift your mood and remind you of the optimistic possibilities. Negative thinking can help you move forward, as long as you don't get stuck focusing on what's wrong. If you tend toward mostly pessimistic thinking, you can get better at seeing what's good.

Here are some things to try:. Optimism is a thinking style that can be learned, which means that pessimism can be unlearned! It can take a little while, so don't feel discouraged. Becoming more aware of the two styles can gradually help you start noticing more ways to be optimistic. Just keep telling yourself, "I can be more optimistic and I'm going to keep practicing! Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size.

How's Your Day Going? Optimism vs. Pessimism Optimism and pessimism are mindsets — ways of thinking and seeing things.

Page 3 Optimism Builds Resilience Optimism lets us see disappointing events as temporary situations that we can get past. Realistic Optimism Optimism isn't about seeing everything as rosy. Is There a Place for Pessimism? Page 4 How to Be More Optimistic If you tend toward mostly pessimistic thinking, you can get better at seeing what's good. Here are some things to try: Notice good things as they happen.

At the end of the day, take 10 minutes to run through your day and come up with things that you're grateful for. Write them down in a journal or keep track using a motivational app on your phone or tablet. Train your mind to believe you can make good things happen in your life.

Get in a habit of telling yourself specific things you can do to succeed. For example: "If I study, I can get a better grade. What does your inner voice say when things don't go as planned? Instead of thinking, "I failed that math test because I'm terrible at math," tell yourself: "I failed that test because I didn't study enough. I won't let that happen next time! Think of what you did to make a good outcome possible. Did you prepare for the test?

Practice with dedication? Think of the strengths you used and how they helped you succeed. Remind yourself that setbacks are temporary. As soon as something goes wrong, remind yourself that it will pass — and come up with a plan for making that happen. Are friends and family members optimistic or pessimistic? For example, does your dad say, "I burned the hot dogs, I'm just a terrible cook! Or does he say: "I burned the hot dogs because I got distracted watching the dog chase a squirrel around the backyard!

Seligman learned how to be optimistic, and here, leaning on many of the ideas he explores in his book The Hope Circuit , he lays out how you can, too. Why does it seem like we are wired for pessimism?

The species that [was] going through the Ice Ages had been bred, and selected, through pessimism. The mentality that said, "It's a beautiful day in San Diego today, I bet it'll be beautiful tomorrow" got crushed by the ice.

What got selected for, in the Ice Ages, was bad weather animals, who were always thinking about the bad stuff that could occur. So what comes naturally to people is pessimism. What needs teaching, because it doesn't come naturally, is optimism. When you look at pessimistic people, probably the single [most-telling] hallmark is they think that bad events are permanent and that they're unchangeable.

So what learned optimism is all about is recognizing that you're saying that to yourself, and then realistically arguing against it. I have to argue against it. By The Editors of GQ. So is this at odds with something like mindfulness, which argues you should be present in the moment?

If you're focusing on optimism, you're also sort of missing the present moment, right? Well, I think, if you look at what people are doing, and what you're doing right now when we're talking, you're prospecting into the future. You're not living in the moment of this interview. You're saying, "What is Seligman saying that I can use, or write about?

And so, the notion that we should live more and more in the moment denies what, evolutionarily, we're really good at. What distinguishes human beings from all of the other animals is that we're creatures of the future. I'm not impressed by our wisdom and knowledge. But I am impressed [by] how much of our mental life is about the future.