Two of my daughters couldn’t be more different when it comes to how they view life. One has a sunny, positive outlook, while the other has a cloudy, negative outlook. Traditionally, these outlooks are represented by how one views a cup that is partially filled with liquid. Is the cup half full or half empty?
Those who view the cup as half full are optimistic. They have hope and confidence that good things will happen. On the other hand, those who view the cup as half empty are pessimistic. They are suspicious when things go well and expect bad things to happen.
How can two kids who share the same parents and are growing up in the same house have such different outlooks? What makes someone an optimist or pessimist? More importantly, does it matter? Does one’s outlook have an impact on things like health and relationships? Let’s take a look.
The origins of optimism and pessimism
According to experts, three major factors converge to make an individual an optimist or pessimist.
Explanatory style
The most significant factor that determines if a person is an optimist or pessimist is explanatory style, or how he or she interprets events. Pessimists typically interpret events using the “3 Ps” of negative thinking. Optimists, of course, do the opposite.
- Permanence. Pessimists tend to believe that bad events or struggles will last forever (“I’ll never learn how to do this”), while optimists see them as temporary (“I didn’t succeed today, but I’ll try again tomorrow”).
- Pervasiveness. Pessimists often believe that one failure ruins everything (“I’m a terrible student”), while optimists isolate the failure (“I struggle with math, but I can write well”).
- Personalization. Pessimists typically blame themselves (“This is all because of me”), while optimists consider external circumstances (“This is a really difficult situation”).
Experiences
One’s life experiences—childhood events, traumatic incidents, and observations of others—influence whether her or she expects negative or positive outcomes. For example, seeing someone who lived an extremely healthy lifestyle die of cancer can lead one to believe that poor outcomes are inevitable, regardless of one’s efforts.
Genetics
Researchers have found that temperament (which helps create one’s natural tendency towards an optimistic or pessimistic outlook) includes a genetic component.
Does one’s outlook matter?
The differences between optimists and pessimists seem trivial, but researchers say that pessimists may face greater health risks than optimists. In terms of physical health, pessimists have a higher hazard ratio (a measure of relative probability) for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Likewise, pessimism is linked with poor recovery from cardiac events (including heart attacks and surgeries) and poor immune function. In terms of mental health, pessimism is linked with onset and maintenance of depression and anxiety disorders, as well as with chronic stress and poor emotional resilience.
It appears that the chronic negativity that is a part of pessimism leads to an increase in stress hormones. This increase in stress hormones causes a cascade of physical and mental health issues. With or without these issues, pessimism can lead to lots of rumination and feelings of hopelessness, which make life less enjoyable. It can also take a toll on relationships. A pessimist’s expectation that bad things will happen may drain excitement from fun events and make it difficult for him or her to provide encouragement to friends who are facing hardships. Moreover, because negativity can be contagious, loved ones may want to avoid spending too much time with someone who has a gloomy outlook.
Despite the health risks associated with pessimism, optimism isn’t a panacea. Unchecked optimism could lead a person to take unnecessary and excessive risks. Additionally, optimists may be less prepared when things do go wrong because they don’t have contingency plans.
Not surprisingly, the healthiest approach is to strike a balance between the extremes.
Final thoughts
It’s interesting to know that it’s more than a personality quirk that makes one see the glass as half full or half empty. It’s not surprising to me that one’s outlook has an impact on health. However, given I tend to be a little pessimistic, I wish this wasn’t the case. The encouraging news is that optimism and pessimism are not fixed traits. They are malleable, allowing us to reshape the way we view hardships and challenges.
In a few weeks, I’ll explore how to go about making changes to one’s outlook, as well as share some thoughts on how a person of faith is to approach optimism and pessimism. Meanwhile, if you’d like to read more about these outlooks, please visit my sources:
- Optimist vs. Pessimist vs. Realist: Which One Are You?
- How to Recognize and Respond to Pessimism
- What Does It Mean to Be an Optimist?
- Do Optimism and Pessimism Impact Health Outcomes?
- 3 Factors That Separate Optimists and Pessimists
Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you feel that this impacts your health? If so, what impact does it have?
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