Monday, May 30, 2011

Re: Science of Optimism

In Time magazine this week there was an article on "The Science of Optimism". One of the key points of the article is that hope is not rationale. That the belief is the future will be better than the past and that the present is known as the optimism bias.  This resides in every race, religion, and SES group.  Another key point is that optimists an average work longer jours and tend to earn & save more, live longer, and are healthier.   It seems that our brains even when faced turn into a type of philosphers stone that enables us to turn lead into gold and helps us bounce back to normal levels of well-being. 
Information is key.  We are just beginning to understand the the inner workings of our brains and the optimistic illusions that reside within.  We really cannot know or even understand  our own biases. Those who see the glass as half full...have an inner protective mechanism that enables us to protect ourselves. How many of us know people who are "toxic", downers, and really no fun to be around at all?  Maybe the book "Great Expectations" should be a required read.

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