Disadvantages Of Optimism

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Keller (1903) stated that “optimism is faith that leads to achievement. (p.63). Remaining positive is an aspect that most individuals try to do in their lives. Although some people aren’t as optimistic as others, having a small amount of optimism can be beneficial as well. Even though is not just one definition for optimism, there are some similarities depending on the characteristics of the individual.
Definition
Optimism is a mode of thinking that can more than likely be conceptualized on a continuum. (Hecht, 2013) Optimism is primarily a positive attitude about the future and the tendency to anticipate favorable outcomes to real life situations. (Scheir & Carver, 1985) Optimism is also considered to be hopefulness and confidence about …show more content…

Yes, being optimistic is believed to be beneficial in terms of living a long and healthier life, but too much of it can sometimes create problems. Being overly optimistic can be a disadvantage. When it comes to financial decisions, overly optimistic people do not make the decisions that a pessimist would. (Nauer, 2005) Optimists tend to not budget their money well, which can lead to debt. A little optimism can be beneficial at times, but too much can hurt someone economically. (Robinson, 2007) Another disadvantage would be unrealistic optimism. An example of this would be a person thinking nothing bad can happen to them. Unrealistic optimist believe that their future is better than the next person’s. They also tend to believe that they are less prone to contracting diseases. This disadvantage is titled risk perception and risk behavior. (Macfarlane, Yanes, & Imar, 1995) Unrealistic optimism can be compared to the planning fallacy. (Buehrer & Griffin, 2003) This meaning underestimating something or being too confident in decision making and things do not go as planned. While being too optimistic in terms of the planning fallacy, deadlines are still a form of motivation. However, overly optimistic people aren’t as prepared for failure as a pessimist would be. With them focusing only on the positive, there is no way they would be prepared for the negative. In life, a person must be able to cope and adjust with both the negative and the positive, which is a problem for an optimist. (Seligman, 1998) A downfall of optimism can sometimes be unbearable. (Carroll, Sweeney, & Shepperd,

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