What is optimism and what does it mean to be optimistic? Optimism comes from the Latin word “optimus” meaning “best” and is defined as “an tendency to anticipate the best possible outcome.” Hardships are inevitable, but the way one decides to handle the situation determines the person they are. Imagine waking up knowing you may lose your mother or that your sibling is no longer alive. These realities can come true in a blink of an eye; and choosing to be happy is a choice only you can make. People who are optimistic not only are they positive,encourage motivation, and make horrible conditions into positive situations, but studies have shown they have better health than those who are pessimistic. Growing up, I have experienced many challenging
Not only your physical health, but your psychological health as well. “Optimism has been found to be negatively correlated with depression, anxiety, anger, perception of daily hassles, physical symptoms, and job burnout, and positively correlated with life satisfaction, positive physical and mental health, lower frequencies of mental disorders, and self-esteem” (Strassle, McKee, and Plant, 1999, p. 191-192). Having a positive outlook empowers you to cope better with stressful situations, which in return reduces the damaging health effects of stress on your body. Harvard Health Publications conducted a study and the results were shocking, “Over a four-year period, highly pessimistic men were three times more likely to develop hypertension than cheerier souls, even after other risk factors were taken into
My moms best friend had been diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. Many have heard of breast cancer stories and seen the fundraising campaigns that occur, but not until someone you know is diagnosed does it become real. Four months ago Erin, my mom 's friend, had found a lump on her left breast. Immediately after she found it, it was a rush to see the doctor. The day she found out she was diagnosed it was no joke, the doctors had wanted to remove the lump that Friday, she had been seen on Monday. The doctors were worried that if the cancer had spread to her lymphatic ducts, that radiation may not work. Cancer is a scary thing, and for Erin, who is the strongest woman I know she never let it deteriorate her down. Yes there were times, were that day just seemed like it was never going to end and crying came along with it, but she never gave up the hope that she was going to beat this cancer. She kept the motivation to go to work, take care of her three kids, and go along with her daily life. Even when the hardest of times were upon her, like shaving all her hair off, she always had a smile on her face and choose to see the good side of things and be grateful for her three beautiful children. Along with Erin, my best friend 's dad was diagnosed with liver cancer and was predicted to live two to five more years. To a teenage boy
Optimism was an attractive to many because it answered a profound philosophical question: if God is omnipotent and benevolent, then why is there so much evil in the world? Optimism provides an easy way out: God has made everything for the best, and even though one might experience personal misfortune, God (via your misfortune) is still helping the greater good.
However, happiness also takes into account a wide range of other aspects of our lives, including our thoughts and actions, and even genetics. Therefore, happiness should be defined as the amalgamation of how we think and act, and how we interpret our experiences as positive or negative. What this means is that in order to become happier, we must simply force ourselves to become more optimistic. This is easier said than done, however. In order to have a noticeable increase in happiness, people must be willing to make lifestyle changes in addition to changing their mindset. However, the difference between optimism and delusion is a fine line, so people must be cautious to not exaggerate the positive parts of an experience or become overly optimistic. If we practice seeking out the positive views of our circumstances, with time we will find ourselves happier than
In the poem “Invictus” by William Ernest optimism can be found in the quote “my head is bloody, But unbowed” (2). This show how no matter what negative thing happens in your life, no matter how bad it is you can always make something positive out of it. Optimism can also be seen in the quote “my unconquerable soul” (1). This shows how confident and positive he is about and is showing he puts the negative emotions to ret and just the positive rise and defeats the negative emotions. He only lets the positive in and lets the negative stay outside so nothing can conquer his soul. He thanking the Gods for his "unconquerable soul...
Optimism is a hopefulness for the future. People who are optimistic generally expect the best from situations. Overall, optimists tend to be healthier than pessimists. Optimism can aid in maintenance of psychological health when faced with physical health problems. This claim is evident with Bob Salvini in the Young at Heart film. Bob, having looked death in the eyes multiple times, managed to pull through when the odds were against him. Bobs strong will and optimism for live and his situation helped him live happily for as long as he did, before he unfortunately died in May of 2006. While still in the ICU, Bob stayed positive and was determined to make the show in less than three weeks. Sadly, Bob passed away the night before the show (Walker & George,
Optimism was attractive to many because it answered a profound philosophical question that mankind had been grappling with since the beginning of faith: if God is omnipotent and benevolent, then why is there so much evil in the world? Optimism provides an easy way out of this philosophical dilemma: God has made everything for the best, and even though one might experience personal misfortune, God (via your misfortune) is still helping the greater good.
Optimism is applicable to both crises and normal living. It has been shown how optimism brings about the good life amidst catastrophe, but what happens between major life events? One cannot live the good life without a sense of purpose. Optimism encompasses both goals and one’s hope in their accomplishment, giving one a sense of purpose and an anticipation of happiness in times of comfort or distress and keeping the individual progressing within their life story. Thus, a positive view of the future is critical to the good life in adversity or
While the notion of optimism is seldom brought to attention on a daily basis, it is actually an integral part of the human experience, even among those who claim to be particularly rational. In fact, it serves as a sort of Chicken Soup for the Soul, for society. Of course, rather than being a series of inspirational books, optimism quite literally gives off the comfort of warm soup on a cold and dreary day- wafting in the possibility of hope and the sentiment that this is the “best of all possible worlds.” It is this comfort that people cling to in times of strife, be it a death of a loved one, or even something as typical as a missed bus. The prevalence of optimism began in 1710, when Gottfried Leibniz asserted that the actual world was as
When she learned she had Cancer, she organized herself into a one-woman battle squad. Anyone who knew my mother knows that sitting down and letting the sickness take over was just not in her. She took the eighteen month prognosis they gave her , smiled, and threw it out the window. Shortly after her diagnosis,...
“When someone has cancer, the whole family and everyone who loves them does, too.” – Terri Clark
Firstly, people who show an optimism bias feel more happy and satisfied with their life. These people are also more in control of and engaged in their life’s goal, they will not just think about happy thoughts and wait for life to pass, instead they will be engaged in a meaningful life and do whatever it takes to accomplish their goals. They are also less likely to give up on a difficult situation and will cope with it. These are people who will not wait for the rain to pass but who learn to dance in the rain in order to fulfil their life’s goal. Unrealistic optimism shows an increased well-being and happiness. With this increased well-being, unrealistically optimistic people are also more able to pick themselves up after a major life
Whether an individual has positive or negative attitude is not a major contributor to their happiness and a realistic attitude would be ideal for those trying to increase their
Optimistic. Confident about the future. Many people may designate this term to describe me. On the outside, I try to appear this way; whereas on the inside, I am the exact opposite. My “optimism” is something I display to make others content, so they expect an ideal outcome. We live in a sinister world, so I conceal my pessimism and attempt to bring some positivity into it with my deceiving optimism. In my opinion, it is better to foresee failure, than to expect success and be disappointed. School is a place where my pessimism doubtlessly shines.
What is hope? Desmond Tutu said, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness.” It whispers, “You’ll overcome this hardship.” It reassures us, soothing our minds by reminding, “life will improve.”
B. Cade Massey once said, “It 's gotten to the point where people really feel pressure to think and talk in an optimistic way” (Massey). Optimism is generally seen as healthy, while pessimism is generally seen as dangerous. The difference between optimism and pessimism is a difference in perspective and mindset. An optimist has a positive perspective and cheerful mindset, while a pessimist has a negative perspective and a gloomy mindset. There are consequences to both perspectives. But which has better consequences for one’s health? Assuming that it is moderated, pessimism is healthy for a person’s well-being. Pessimism is more realistic than optimism because it prepares people for an unpredictable and possibly negative life. Pessimism is also better for expectations compared to future surprises. Pessimists are either proven right or pleasantly surprised. Pessimism is a healthier mindset to have than optimism.
The approach is usually lengthy in order to accommodate the attitude of hope for forthcoming conditions evolving as optimal. The vaster concept of optimism is the understanding that all of nature, past, present, and future, functions by the law of optimization. The word optimism originated from the Latin word optimum, which means "best". Optimism is a deposition or tendency to view the more favorable side of events or conditions and to await the more favorable outcomes. Optimism is the belief that good eventually overrules the evil in the world. Also, the belief that goodness defuses reality. Optimism is the attitude that the existing world is the best of all possible worlds. Optimists often have the impulse of making lemonade out of lemons, and then to see the glass as half-full rather than half-empty. Most optimist persistently attributes benevolent motives to others and illustrate situations in the best possible light; others easily just disassociate an internal mood from external situations, no matter how tenacious. A person can be optimistic in devoirs such as expecting his or her relationship with another to be successful. Now on to pessimism, pessimism is the impulse to stress the negative or unfavorable. The belief of pessimism is that this is the worst of all possible worlds and that