Economists at Duke University found that optimists even save more. Optimists in general work longer hours and tend to earn more. Such faith helps motivate us to pursue our goals. To make progress, we need to be able to imagine alternative realities – better ones – and we need to believe that we can achieve them. Without optimism, our ancestors might never have ventured far from their tribes and we might all be cave dwellers, still huddled together and dreaming of light and heat. But the bias also protects and inspires us: it keeps us moving forward rather than to the nearest high-rise ledge. Overly positive assumptions can lead to disastrous miscalculations – make us less likely to get health checkups, apply sunscreen or open a savings account, and more likely to bet the farm on a bad investment. A survey conducted in 2007 found that while 70% thought families in general were less successful than in their parents' day, 76% of respondents were optimistic about the future of their own family. But private optimism, about our personal future, remains incredibly resilient. Collectively we can grow pessimistic – about the direction of our country or the ability of our leaders to improve education and reduce crime. You might expect optimism to erode under the tide of news about violent conflicts, high unemployment, tornadoes and floods and all the threats and failures that shape human life.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |