What is optimism?

Optimism is a concept closely related to happiness. It is about not giving up when the going gets tough. Yet when the going is good, having optimism means you expect the good to continue. It is about having hope and always believing things will improve. Being an optimist puts you in a good position to deal with situations in your life and to handle life’s difficulties generally.

Generally speaking:

• Optimists believe bad things are temporary. They occur sometimes (rather than always) and will not last. For example, your boss shouting at you on a Monday does not mean they will shout at you for the rest of your working life. An optimist has an awareness that bad things will occur in life, but they are able to get up again when the bad happens. It means they are able to take control of their life, rather than deciding not to bother, as what’s the point, it’s all going to turn out terrible anyway.

• Bad events are not their fault. For example, the terrible weather conditions made it hard to win the game. It is easy to blame yourself unfairly. Yet, constant self-blame can damage your self-esteem. If you are able to look at other reasons you tend to like yourself better. Of course you have to be responsible for your actions; however your thinking should be realistic. An optimist does not automatically blame themselves when something goes wrong.

• Optimists confine bad events to that one particular situation. For example, just because you forgot one birthday, does not make them forgetful in all areas of their life. You just happened to forget that one birthday. If bad things happen, it is not the end of the world and can even be seen as challenges to be overcome. Optimists don’t overdramatise the situation.

In contrast:

• Optimists expect good events to last. For example, baking the perfect cake – they do not see this as a one off. They are a good cake maker and so their cakes are always good. Interestingly, when optimists succeed, they tend to try harder next time, therefore making success more likely.

• Good events are of their own making and are due to their abilities and traits. This attitude can only serve to make you feel good about yourself. It means taking advantage of opportunities when they arise and having the courage to take a risk. For example, having the courage to follow up a potential career opportunity, rather than ignoring it and ultimately missing out. 

• For optimists, good things come to have a positive impact on other areas in their life. It enhances all that they do, since they feel good about themselves. For example, a success at work enhances your attitude to your home life. They do not say they just happen to be a good accountant (and they’re not really that good, it’s just nobody else wants to do the job) but the rest of their life is a mess.

How is optimism beneficial?

Physical health

There are good health reasons to be optimistic. Research indicates optimists have stronger immune systems, making them less susceptible to illness and disease. They are less likely to die of a heart attack or cardiovascular disease. Other research indicates that an optimistic attitude means you can recover faster from an operation. Optimists have less stress, which prevents  many stress-related health problems and it is suggested they ultimately live longer.

An interesting point about optimists is that they are more likely to take preventative steps to avoid illness and are quick to get treatment when illness does strike.

Mental health

Optimism can be a great confidence booster, since it can  give you a feeling of control in your life. It can enhance your overall wellbeing.  Research carried out by Seligman strongly indicates that optimists have less depression. Optimism can prevent you feeling helpless, which is an important trigger of depression. Optimists have been shown to be more successful in all areas of life, including work, sports and relationships.

How optimism can help

Optimism is a state of mind. It is the thoughts you say to yourself on a daily basis when you encounter different situations. Your thoughts can have an amazing impact on your life. Thinking optimistically enables you to relish the good things and overcome the bad things. As such it gives you the necessary motivation to achieve your goals, both large and small. Chances are you will achieve more, as an optimistic attitude will give you the drive to keep going. After success an optimist will try harder, ultimately leading to more success. They do not put success down to luck, chance or other external influences. It can really boost you into action as you realise the choices you have and how much you can do with your life.

Optimism, like happiness, is not some magical phenomenon that prevents bad things from happening. It does however give you the opportunity to experience good things for a greater amount of time and be in a position to deal with the bad things in a positive, empowering way.

It could be said that a dose of pessimism keeps us grounded but optimism can surge us forward.

Read my How to increase your optimism to help you become more optimistic in your own life.