Thriving in difficult times: Optimism

Scientific studies show that optimism can have some very real benefits. It enhances achievement, it promotes physical health, it protects against depression, and it feels a lot more pleasant that pessimistic gloom and doom. Yet it has limitations too. Let’s have a look at the pros and cons of an optimistic world view.

Perhaps the first category of benefits we should consider are the mental health benefits that result from an optimistic attitude. A robust evidence base demonstrates that people who are inclined to be pessimistic are more likely to become clinically depressed. In part, this is because pessimism fosters feelings of helplessness. Pessimistic people interpret events in a negative way and they expect this negativity to continue. They also tend to feel helpless and unable to change their lives or circumstances. They’re generally less happy than optimists.

So, optimistic people feel better about themselves and their lives, they have a sense that they can influence their circumstances for the better, and they’re less vulnerable to depressive illness.

A further benefit occurs within the peak performance domain. An optimistic approach improves self-confidence, and strong self-confidence is associated with high achievement. This doesn’t mean that optimism causes high achievement. It means that optimistic people respond more adaptively to the setbacks, disappointments, and obstacles that inevitably occur on the road to success. Optimism therefore fosters high achievement because it increases self-confidence and resilience.

But you can have too much of a good thing. An optimistic attitude needs to be grounded in reality. If your optimism causes you to overlook important realities of your situation, then it can actually work against you.

This is powerfully illustrated by a syndrome which is broadly known as the Stockdale Paradox. The Stockdale Paradox is named after Admiral James Stockdale, the highest ranking American prisoner of war in Vietnam. Stockdale reports that the prisoners of war who perished first in the Vietnamese camps were the optimists. It was the optimists who said “we’ll be out of here by Christmas”. In creating expectations such as this, they set themselves up for disappointment. It’s easy to see how this hope/disappointment pattern led to despair when hope after hope was dashed. Stockdale says that this is one of the important lessons of survivorship that came out of Vietnam. The prisoners of war who survived were those who had the strength to confront the most brutal aspects of their current reality, while maintaining their overall belief that they would prevail in the end.

This raises an important point. Optimism (and, for that matter, positivity) doesn’t mean being blind to the reality of your circumstances. You can’t possibly find an optimal solution to a problem if you don’t accurately assess the problem itself. Effective problem solving relies upon an accurate understanding of the problem at hand.

Effective optimism is about your response to reality. It’s the capacity to face life’s challenges with a “how can I turn this situation to my advantage?” attitude. A determination that “whatever happens I’m going to find a way to make a good life for myself and my loved ones”, even in the face of loss and hardship. It involves a pervasive belief that “I will prevail in the end”, even if today brings struggle, pain or loss.

The moral of the story is this: Believe in yourself and your capacity to respond positively to challenging circumstances. Never lose sight of your capacity to change your situation and outcomes. Even small changes today can make a big difference over time. But keep your eyes wide open. An accurate understanding of your situation gives you the best chance of formulating an optimal plan of attack.