{"id":11330,"date":"2015-03-12T11:01:59","date_gmt":"2015-03-12T11:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=11330"},"modified":"2023-03-10T18:31:57","modified_gmt":"2023-03-10T18:31:57","slug":"optimism-vs-pessimism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/optimism-vs-pessimism.htm","title":{"rendered":"Optimism vs Pessimism  &#8211; Do You Need Both?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #333399;\">by Andrea M. Darcy<\/span><\/p>\n<p>There is a long-standing debate about whether it\u2019s better to be an optimist or a pessimist. Do the<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_11356\" style=\"width: 420px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/14771775790_9f8bf6dd751.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11356\" class=\" wp-image-11356\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/14771775790_9f8bf6dd751-500x376.jpg\" alt=\"optimism vs pessimism\" width=\"410\" height=\"308\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/14771775790_9f8bf6dd751.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/14771775790_9f8bf6dd751-400x301.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 410px) 100vw, 410px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-11356\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/toddle_email_newsletters\/14771775790\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" \">Alan O&#8217;Rourke<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Pollyannas of the world win out over those of us who predict the worst? Or is it possible a bit of both is best?<\/p>\n<h2>Are you an optimist or a pessimist?<\/h2>\n<p>A quick online test can reveal whether or not you fall squarely into the pessimist or optimist camp. Answering yes to questions similar to the following would put you in the optimist camp. Answering no would be an indicator of pessimism.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">Do you believe that your future will be generally good?<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Do you feel as if the world is good?<\/li>\n<li>Do you believe you will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-set-goals-that-work.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">achieve your lifelong goals?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Can&#8217;t you be both?<\/h2>\n<p><strong>But what if you feel ambivalent to these questions, have a variety of yes and no responses,<\/strong> or feel that it quite frankly, your answers will vary by day? You might be ahead of the curve.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s true that we all may be naturally inclined to one way of thinking or another\u2013 known as \u201cdispositional optimism\/pessimism\u201d.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">But current research, such as that being carried out in the <a style=\"color: #800080;\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.lsa.umich.edu\/chang-lab\/research\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">University of Michigan&#8217;s &#8216;optimism-pessimism lab&#8217;<\/a>, suggests that a productive way to view optimism and pessimism is as an outlook you choose based on the particulars of the situation at hand. This new way of viewing optimism and pessimism as malleable instead of fixed perspectives is called \u201cstrategic optimism\/pessimism\u201d. The idea is that choosing the right outlook for the right situation might lead to better outcomes.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>Strategic Optimism vs Pessimism \u2013 When to Use What<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_11357\" style=\"width: 355px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/3285322006_e7b00066f61.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11357\" class=\" wp-image-11357\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/3285322006_e7b00066f61-500x375.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"345\" height=\"259\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/3285322006_e7b00066f61.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/3285322006_e7b00066f61-400x300.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 345px) 100vw, 345px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-11357\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/sakeeb\/3285322006\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" \">Sakeeb Sabakka<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>So how can you determine what outlook can serve you best when it comes to optimism vs pessimism?<\/p>\n<p>Optimism creates motivation and hard work, and can be like a buffer from the risk of failure.<\/p>\n<h3>When optimism works best<\/h3>\n<p>Optimism works best when:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a situation has a lot of difficulties to overcome<\/li>\n<li>creativity is required over simple logic<\/li>\n<li>the road ahead will be long<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong> Examples of optimism being the right perspective might be<\/strong> when you are coming up with an idea for a business, starting a year-long contract for a difficult client, or deciding on a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/seven-things-stop-excercising-overcome.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> long-term exercise goal<\/span><\/a> or nutrition plan.<\/p>\n<h3>When to use pessimism<\/h3>\n<p><strong> Pessimism has its uses. It can help you to<\/strong> prepare for unavoidable difficulty, giving you mental strength when dealing with shock and pain. Pessimism has also been found to be quite useful in overcoming fear, because thinking of the worst outcomes can spur people to take action they might otherwise avoid. It can also help us be more balanced when our ego is about to make us be foolish.<\/p>\n<p><strong> A pessimistic outlook may be best when\u2013<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>you have been told you are about to have bad news<\/li>\n<li>an impending bad outcome is a fact not just a worry<\/li>\n<li>mental preparation could help you be ready for a devastating experience<\/li>\n<li>a fear is looming over you that needs dealing with<\/li>\n<li>you are in your comfort zone and assuming something will go right but are being warned by friends of overconfidence (called &#8216;defensive pessimism&#8217;)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong> Examples where pessimism might be useful<\/strong> are knowing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/unemployment-improving-self-esteem.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">you are going to lose your job<\/span><\/a> in a few weeks and that pessimism might help you get started on looking for a new one. Facing your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/moving-abroad-cause-depression.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">fear of moving house<\/span><\/a> so that you finally make the effort to find a more affordable place over getting evicted.<\/p>\n<p><strong> An example of &#8216;defensive pessimism&#8217; might be if<\/strong> you have lost that job, get a big interview, and are so overconfident you&#8217;ll get it you don&#8217;t want to prepare. If your friends are pointing out you are being too optimistic, a bit of pessimism might help you see the weak spots in your personal presentation you could use some brushing up on.<\/p>\n<h2>Why bother being an optimist, then?<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_11355\" style=\"width: 260px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/10232322395_c2a920a2ff1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11355\" class=\" wp-image-11355\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/10232322395_c2a920a2ff1.jpg\" alt=\"optimism vs pessimism\" width=\"250\" height=\"376\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/10232322395_c2a920a2ff1.jpg 333w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/10232322395_c2a920a2ff1-266x400.jpg 266w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-11355\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: Purple Sherbet Photography<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Looking at the above examples, if might seem as though there are actually more benefits to being a pessimist, and that optimism is just a bit of self trickery to keep yourself persevering.<\/p>\n<p><strong>But optimism has other effects beyond just solving a situation. <\/strong>While pessimism has its benefits, according to research a positive outlook still takes the lead as the better perspective.<\/p>\n<p>The benefits of optimism include:<\/p>\n<p><strong> Better Mental Health.<\/strong> A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/225508381_Does_Perceived_Emotional_Intelligence_and_Optimismpessimism_Predict_Psychological_Well-being\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">study at the University of Jaen<\/span> <\/a>in Spain found that optimism was related to better overall <a href=\"\/psychological-issues-counselling.htm\">psychological wellbeing<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong> Better Physical Health<\/strong>. At the University of Helsinki <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/pubs\/journals\/releases\/hea-244413.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">a study looked at the health of over 5,000 municpal workers<\/span><\/a> found that optimism may reduce not just the risk of health problems, but also one&#8217;s ability to recover quickly from illness.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A longer life.<\/strong> In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/14768320500066381#abstract\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">decades long study<\/span><\/a> carried out by a Yale University professor on the inhabitants of a small town in Ohio, it was found that those who felt optimistic about growing old had lived an average of seven and a half years longer than those who were negative about their future.<\/p>\n<h2>But aren&#8217;t some of us just born pessimists?<\/h2>\n<p>While there has been some evidence that biological factors do indeed influence how we look at the world, it seems that our biological dispostion is not as fixed as once thought.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3063335\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">study on twins<\/span><\/a> carried out by Professor Tim Spector at St Thomas&#8217; hospital in London has been discovering that <strong>while we do have differences in our personalities because of genetic factors, our genes are not constant but can be effectively turned high or low in response to our environments<\/strong> and life experiences. This is a process now called &#8216;epigenetics&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In other words, we control our genes far more than once realised.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>An example is being found in motherly love. A<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcgill.ca\/files\/epi-biostat-occh\/meaney-05.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> study at McGill University in Canada<\/span><\/a> is <strong>finding changes in the activity of genes in response to how much maternal love a child receives. <\/strong>They believe this determines how well the child will be able to handle stress as an adult, which confirms the tenets of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/attachment-theory-bowlby.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Attachment theory<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>What can I do if I am prone to pessimism?<\/h2>\n<p>There are evidence-based ways to move your mind from negative to positive ways of seeing.<\/p>\n<p><strong> One of these is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/cognitive-behavioural-therapy-london.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)<\/span><\/a><\/strong>. A form of psychotherapy, it focuses on learning how to recognise your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/cognitive-distortions-cbt.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">cycles of negative thinking<\/span><\/a> and disrupt them with more balanced thoughts, slowly retraining your brain to think differently.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_11339\" style=\"width: 451px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6174344321_a6b3b6aa69.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11339\" class=\" wp-image-11339\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6174344321_a6b3b6aa69-500x333.jpg\" alt=\"optimism vs pessimism\" width=\"441\" height=\"294\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6174344321_a6b3b6aa69.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6174344321_a6b3b6aa69-400x266.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6174344321_a6b3b6aa69-180x120.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 441px) 100vw, 441px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-11339\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/nkashirin\/6174344321\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" \">Nickolai Kashirin<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Another practise for encouraging an optimistic outlook is mindfulness<\/strong>. A <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1177\/1948550610396585\">study on mindfulness<\/a> has shown that it can increase positive judgements and reduce negative bias.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Now integrated into sessions by many therapists here in the UK, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/meditation-and-psychotherapy.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">mindfulness<\/span><\/a> encourages us to refocus on<\/strong> what is actually happening and what we are actually feeling right now. It helps us train our mind away from anxiety about the past and worries about a future we can&#8217;t control. This refocussing tends to help us notice the things that are going right for us, which our anxiety and worries tend to have us overlooking.<\/p>\n<h2>Takeaway tips from Optimists for Pessimists<\/h2>\n<p>Take these quick tips from optimists and see how you can apply them to your life starting today.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Be Realistic<\/h3>\n<p>Optimists don\u2019t ignore problems or refuse to see what is right in front of them. Instead, they acknowledge issues and then actively problem solve ways to improve or manage their situation.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Persevere<\/h3>\n<p>Optimists not only devise ways to improve or cope with difficult situations, but they stick with their plans, even when things get difficult.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Believe that Your Actions Affect the Outcome<\/h3>\n<p>Optimists don\u2019t live in a state of delusion where they expect wonderful things to magically go their way. Instead, optimists realise that productive work and effort will increase the likelihood of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/life-goals.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">achieving their desired goals.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>4. Consistently View Your Goals as Attainable<\/h3>\n<p>Optimists believe their desires and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-move-forward-this-year.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">goals are possible<\/span><\/a>. They believe that good can come their way as long as they keep working.<\/p>\n<h3><strong> 5. Change Your Perspective<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Optimists explain bad events from a less personal angle. Instead of blaming your \u201cbad luck\u201d on a personal flaw or by claiming that the world is just rotten, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-perspective.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">try a new perspective<\/span><\/a> by looking at the disappointment as an isolated event.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><b><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-7578 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-by-laura-e1404338249593-150x150.png\" alt=\"Andrea M. Darcy health writer\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-by-laura-e1404338249593-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-by-laura-e1404338249593-200x200.png 200w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-by-laura-e1404338249593-50x50.png 50w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-by-laura-e1404338249593-20x20.png 20w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/>Andrea M. Darcy <\/b>is a mental health and wellbeing expert and personal development teacher with training in person-centred counselling and coaching, as well a popular psychology writer. Follow her on Instagram for useful life tips @am_darcy<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Andrea M. Darcy There is a long-standing debate about whether it\u2019s better to be an optimist or a pessimist. Do the Pollyannas of the world win out over those of us who predict the worst? Or is it possible a bit of both is best? Are you an optimist or a pessimist? A quick [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":11356,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"yes","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[5312],"tags":[74],"class_list":["post-11330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-self-help","tag-mental-health","has_thumb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Optimism vs Pessimism - Do You Need Both? - Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Optimism vs pessimism - is it as clearcut as we once thought? 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Darcy","author_link":"#"},"uagb_comment_info":1,"uagb_excerpt":"by Andrea M. Darcy There is a long-standing debate about whether it\u2019s better to be an optimist or a pessimist. Do the Pollyannas of the world win out over those of us who predict the worst? Or is it possible a bit of both is best? Are you an optimist or a pessimist? A quick&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11330","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11330"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11330\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":137963,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11330\/revisions\/137963"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}