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The benefits – and dangers – of optimism
Why you should (almost) always look on the bright side of life.
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Confidence, justified or not, is a big part of why people are chosen for bigger jobs within organisations, says the writer.
PHOTO: UNSPLASH
The Economist
It pays to be an optimist. Upbeat types tend to be in better health. A meta-analysis by Dr Alan Rozanski, a cardiologist, and his co-authors found that optimism was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events. They also tend to be resilient. Optimists are likely to see setbacks as temporary and attributable to external circumstances, whereas pessimists regard reverses as a verdict on their own enduring weaknesses.
Optimists are more likely to rise up organisational ladders as well. In a recent paper, Professor Nadine Chochoiek of Munich Business School and her co-authors surveyed founders, bosses and employees in the Netherlands, and found that entrepreneurs and managers are as upbeat as each other. Both are more optimistic than employees.
