Optimism in Modern Psychology: The Power of Positive Thinking

Being optimistic is being hopeful and having a positive attitude about the future. One can be optimistic in any situations with any emotions, it depends on the view and personality of the person in mind. In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, two individuals from different worlds find a way to come together even in the face of their families altercations to find true love. The play, Romeo and Juliet, expresses a rather optimistic view of life.

In his article, The Power of Negative Thinking, Oliver Burkeman discusses the realities behind excessive optimism and the benefits to negative thinking. Specifically, Burkeman argues that positive thinking hinders the preparation and motivation necessary to tackle actual real world problems whereas negative thinking allows for such preparation. His argument’s strengths come from his constant use of logic in regards to his evidence whether it be the “fire walkers” in the first paragraph or the opinions of Barbara Ehrenreich in the paragraph nine. In short, Burkeman does a superb job of championing the benefits of pessimism through his criticism on positive thinking.

According to Dictionary.com, the definition of optimism is “A disposition or tendency to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome.” Looking on the more favorable side can help in the most difficult times. Having a positive attitude is the best response to conflict, especially in time of war. Optimists such as Winston Churchill and Anne Frank kept hope for a better future throughout World War II.

This Ted Talk is about optimism bias which is the tendency to think more positively about a person’s life than to think negatively. We have these high expectations that good things would happen than bad ones. It is a positive bias towards an event before the event actually happens. The optimism bias is a naturally occurring phenomenon that seems to become part of human nature because it is an overall tendency to bring upon good things in life over a pessimistic bias (Sharot, 2011).

Some of the characters are able to fulfil their desires and reap some kind of benefit from their endeavors. The first large example of optimism, is that Addie’s request to be buried with her family in Jefferson, is ultimately accomplished (173). The novel could also have an optimistic ending because, Anse gets much of what he wanted, and then

2. In the context of character qualities, optimism means A. Putting on rose-colored glasses and ignoring problems B. Looking for the best in every situation but always having a

We don’t try hard enough or sacrifice ourselves to reach at our highest level of achievement. This is where the characteristic optimism comes useful to important situations or decisions in our lives. In one word, it’s best described as the predictor of success, which is

Nevertheless, the enhancing of the wellbeing is a question that begged for research. So, Scheier and colleagues focused on various aspects of situations in their research and measured the level of optimism derived from these situations. It turned out that positivity enhances wellbeing due to high embracement of optimism. The article supports the articulation that there is power to positive thinking although it is not that simple and direct. All, believing in the good that future holds is crucial in relating to the many aspects of life.

There are times in this world when rolling out of bed and putting on a brave face is the only thing that seems sensible enough to get you through the day. You slurp down your morning cup of coffee, glare at yourself in the mirror, and wonder what’s the point of it all? Why am I living my life half exhausted wandering from place to place doing what I’m told when I’m told to make myself a living? This is exactly how a pessimist often thinks;, they tend to see only the worst in a scenario or believe that only the lowest possible situation will happen. I have chosen not to live my life like that, I have chosen to not only try to lead each day with a positive mind and a healthy attitude, but I have also decided to spread optimism to others by the simple gestures such as a smile. I will admit that at times being an optimistic person isn’t always easy because

This idea of optimism where, as Pangloss says, “It is clear...that things cannot be otherwise than they are,

Optimism is to be confident and hopeful about the future. Being optimistic is not always a positive thing, especially in the matter of climate change. According to Gifford, optimism can produce personal outcomes, but it can be overdone. He also stated that optimism applies to risks from climate change. Frantz and Mayer contended that by stating that optimism is another factor that lead people to fail perceiving an event like climate change as an emergency. They explained their view by saying that people don’t think that

Firstly, Voltaire illustrates optimism in Candide through the character Dr. Pangloss. Optimism was a popular perspective in the early 18th century. Alexander Pope effectively explained optimism in his Essay on Man. Pope believed that God is perfect as is his divine plan and everything that occurs is what should be, he said, “whatever is, is right” (458).

hardship, and being optimistic during that hardship. A person’s view of the world can affect how

Optimism is another trait or attribute displayed by Type Bs, Cs, and hardy personalities (see below). Optimists are more inclined to appraise situations as challenging, whereas Type A personalities will appraise the same situation as a threat. Optimists tend to focus on what they can do to change or improve a stressful situation, rather than what they are unable to do. They are content in what they do accomplish, and do not focus on their failures (Schafer, 2000; Morris & Maisto, 2005).

Optimistic and pessimistic attitudes constantly affect the outcome of people's lives. In my life, I try to keep an optimistic attitude about the things I do because I know it will help lead me to more desirable ends. There have been many situations in which optimism has helped me through difficult times. Two areas in particular have provided me optimistic experiences: athletics