Verified Document

Optimism Vs. Pessimism The Benefits Essay

The study also found that pessimism and is more often associated with neuroticism and negative emotions than and optimism. This study concluded that not being pessimistic was more important than being optimistic. Sweeney & Sheppard (2010) found that optimism could have its disadvantages when someone must receive bad news. Pessimism allows the person to "brace" themselves for bad news and to develop coping skills to help deal with the event. Optimists may have a disadvantage when it comes to real life negative situations. These authors suggest that pessimism is more of a coping mechanism and that optimism can leave a person without a planned coping strategy. The study aked the question of whether optimism is always best when preparing for the unexpected events, or expectations of negative events in life.

Pessimism puts people in the state of readiness, which Sweeney & Sheppard associate with preparedness. It was found that many things could change a person's outlook on life. For instance, the authors found that as peopled found new information that they may change their outlook on life. They can also change their outlook based on their current mood. The authors found that an anxious mood often changes that a person's outlook to one of pessimism. They can also change their outlook as a conscious preparation to prepare for a potential disappointment. Sweeney & Sheppard found that being less optimistic could make people feel better when the outcomes exceed their negative expectations. This can make them experience of greater happiness even when the outcome is less than ideal.

These two studies took a different approach from previous studies on optimism and pessimism. It was found that optimism does not necessarily lead to a positive health effects. Optimists can still get depressed, experience anxiety and have many of the other negative effects and that result from a stressful life situation. The most important finding of the study by Robinson-Whelen, Kim, MacCullum and associates is...

Pessimism is almost always preferred to optimism and in a situation because pessimism can lead to many negative effects.
However, as Sweeney and Shepherd pointed out, that is not say that pessimism does not have its place. Pessimism appears to be a protective reaction that resembles a coping mechanism more than a personality trait. This coping strategy can help people prepare for a negative event. It was found that it can help them recover more quickly from a traumatic event and that optimists may be left without a coping as mechanism in these situations. Optimists may experience more, or higher levels of disappointment when the outcome is not what they expected.

The conclusions that can be drawn from these two studies is that in general, optimism is preferred over pessimism because pessimism is more likely to cause negative effects. However, that is not say that pessimism does not have its usefulness in protecting us from emotional harm. The most reasonable approach to optimism vs. pessimism is that optimism is good most of the time, but at times it is all right to be pessimistic when there is a real threat to a future outcome. It is not good to get into a cycle of pessimism, as this can lead to health problems, and long-term emotional problems. Being pessimistic can be a positive if it is used as a tool to help the person recover from a traumatic event. Quickly recovering from trauma is an essential part of remaining emotionally healthy and avoiding the negative effects of a pessimistic outlook on life.

References

Robinson-Whelen, S., Kim, C., MacCallum, R.C., & Kiecolt-Glaser, J.K. (1997). Distinguishing optimism from pessimism in older adults: Is it more important to be optimistic or not to be pessimistic?. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(6), 1345-1353.

Sweeny, K., & Shepperd, J.A. (2010). The costs of optimism and the benefits of pessimism. Emotion, 10(5), 750-753.

Sources used in this document:
References

Robinson-Whelen, S., Kim, C., MacCallum, R.C., & Kiecolt-Glaser, J.K. (1997). Distinguishing optimism from pessimism in older adults: Is it more important to be optimistic or not to be pessimistic?. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(6), 1345-1353.

Sweeny, K., & Shepperd, J.A. (2010). The costs of optimism and the benefits of pessimism. Emotion, 10(5), 750-753.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Optimism Impact of Optimism on
Words: 6010 Length: 20 Document Type: Term Paper

al, 396). The study is also important because it outlines predictors of dispositional behavior. These include among other things the patients emotional well-being, understanding of their illness, general perception of their health and familial support. Giltay, et. al, (2004) examine the relationship between dispositional optimism and all-cause mortality. Their findings suggest that a protective relationship exists between dispositional optimism and health. The study specifically found that of 941 subjects, the

Optimism Is a Force Multiplier
Words: 504 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

A soldier who believes that they and their fellows can accomplish amazing goals is far superior to one who whines and complains about his situation and focuses on the possible negatives or challenges that may be difficult to overcome. A smaller force of enthusiastic, optimistic soldiers are far more effective than a greater sized force that has no confidence in their ability to complete their mission. The smaller force's perpetual optimism

Speech -- Power of Optimism the Power
Words: 1857 Length: 6 Document Type: Term Paper

Speech -- Power of Optimism The Power of Optimism: How Optimism can Help Make for a Better Life Speech Outline The Power of Optimism: How Optimism can Help Make for a Better Life Attention Grabber: What is optimism? Why should we want to make our lives better? What is the power of optimism? How can people become more optimistic? How can people harness the power of optimism to improve their lives? The problem with life

Contrarian Investment Strategies Over the
Words: 26080 Length: 73 Document Type: Thesis

" This is significant because it shows how some critics of contrarian investing will often point to the various instances of speculation and assume that it is contrarian investing. In some cases the psychology of consumers can become so extreme, that the definition of what is speculative expands greatly. As a result, using contrarian investing in conjunction with other indicators / tools can help prudent investors and traders, be able to

Decision Making in Business Recommendations
Words: 2592 Length: 9 Document Type: Book Report

In other words, throughout the transition period, Onetech would create efficiencies and would consolidate its position. In the future however, it is recommended that the company moved towards a strategy of diversification, as this would better satisfy customers' needs, attract them and as such create market power for the firm (Markides, 2007). The decision making process at Onetech The decision making process at Onetech is quite intricate, revealing both strengths, as well

Future: Promising or Foreboding It
Words: 2956 Length: 9 Document Type: Term Paper

While on the one hand many are concerned that scientific discoveries like the atomic bomb could mean the end of civilization, others like the inventor Ray Kurzweil argue that, "to relinquish technologies because they could be used for ill means giving up their good uses -- and it also means totalitarian control." (Creating a More Intelligent Future) in other words if we focus on the many creative aspects of modern

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now