What Is Optimism?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSigns of OptimismAre You an Optimist or Pessimist?Causes of OptimismHow to PracticeImpact of OptimismPotential Pitfalls

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Signs of Optimism

Are You an Optimist or Pessimist?

Causes of Optimism

How to Practice

Impact of Optimism

Potential Pitfalls

Close

Optimistsexpect good things to happen, whereas pessimists instead predict unfavorable outcomes. Optimistic attitudes are linked to several benefits, including better coping skills, lower stress levels, better physical health, and higher persistence when pursuing goals.

If you always see the brighter side of things, you may experience more positive events in your life than others, find yourself less stressed, and even enjoy more significant health benefits.

There are many key characteristics that optimists tend to share. Some signs that you tend to be optimistic:

An example of optimism is believing that there will always be opportunities to make things better tomorrow, even if you are experiencing challenges today.

Take ourfast and free quizto find out if you are more of an optimist or pessimist.

The exact causes of optimism are not fully understood, but several factors likely play a role. Genetics, upbringing, culture, and other environmental influences can influence optimism.

According to one twin study, genetics account for around 25% of optimism.Another study found that age is an important determinant, with optimism increasing through young adulthood, leveling off between ages 55 and 70, and then declining in older adulthood.

Explanatory Styles

Explanatory style orattributional stylerefers to how people explain the events of their lives. There are three facets of how people can explain a situation. This can influence whether they lean toward being optimists or pessimists:

Realists see things relatively clearly, but most of us aren’t realists. Instead, we tend to attribute the events in our lives either optimistically or pessimistically.

Optimist Explanatory Style

Optimists explain positive events as having happened because of their own actions or characteristics (internal). They also see them as evidence that more positive things will happen in the future (stable) and in other areas of their lives (global).

Conversely, they see negative events as not being their fault (external). They also see them as being flukes (isolated) that have nothing to do with other areas of their lives or future events (local).

For example, if an optimist gets a promotion, they will likely believe it’s because they are good at their job and will receive more benefits and promotions in the future. If they are passed over for the promotion, it’s likely because they were having an bad month because of extenuating circumstances, but will do better in the future.

Pessimist Explanatory Style

A pessimist would see a promotion as a lucky event that probably won’t happen again, and may even worry that they’ll now be under more scrutiny. Being passed over for a promotion would probably be explained as not being skilled enough. They would, therefore, expect to be passed over again.

OptimistsAttribute positive events to internal causesAttribute negative events to external causesBelieve that good things will happen in the futureTend to view bad things as mistakes or random flukesPessimistsAttribute positive events to external causesAttribute negative events to internal causesBelieve that bad things will happen in the futureTend to see good things as mistakes or flukes

OptimistsAttribute positive events to internal causesAttribute negative events to external causesBelieve that good things will happen in the futureTend to view bad things as mistakes or random flukes

Attribute positive events to internal causes

Attribute negative events to external causes

Believe that good things will happen in the future

Tend to view bad things as mistakes or random flukes

PessimistsAttribute positive events to external causesAttribute negative events to internal causesBelieve that bad things will happen in the futureTend to see good things as mistakes or flukes

Attribute positive events to external causes

Attribute negative events to internal causes

Believe that bad things will happen in the future

Tend to see good things as mistakes or flukes

How to Practice Optimism

Understandably, if you’re an optimist, this bodes well for your future. Negative events are more likely to roll off of your back while positive events affirm your belief in yourself, your ability to make good things happen now and in the future, and in the goodness of life.

Research suggests that genetics determine about 25% of your optimism levels and environmental variables out of your control—such as your socioeconomic status—also play an important role. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t actively improve your attitude.

While you might tend to have either an optimistic or pessimistic explanatory style, there are things that you can do the help cultivate a more optimistic attitude. These include:

Cognitive Restructuring

The process of cognitive restructuring involves a few different steps:

Optimism is important because it can have such a significant impact on your mental and physical well-being. Research has shown that an optimistic worldview carries certain advantages, such as better health, greater achievement, less stress, and greater longevity.

Better Health

Studies regularly show that optimists are more likely to maintain better physical health than pessimists, including a 50% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and greater survival rates when fighting cancer. Some studies have also linked a pessimistic explanatory style with higher rates of infectious disease, poor health, and earlier mortality.

Greater Achievement

Psychologist Martin Seligman, the founding father ofpositive psychology, analyzed sports teams and found that the more optimistic teams created more positive synergy and performed better than thepessimistic ones.

Another study showed that pessimistic swimmers who were led to believe they’d done worse than they had were prone to future poor performance. Optimistic swimmers didn’t have this vulnerability.

Persistence

Optimists don’t give up as easily as pessimists, and they are more likely to achieve success because of it. People with optimistic attitudes are more likely to continue working toward their goals, even in the face of obstacles, challenges, and setbacks. Such persistence ultimately means that they are more likely to accomplish their goals.

Emotional Health

Research suggests thatcognitive therapy(which involves reframing a person’s thought processes) can be as effective or more effective than antidepressant medications in the treatment ofclinical depression.

Such improvements also tend to be long-lasting, suggesting that they are more than a temporary fix. People with this optimism training appear to be better able to handle future setbacks effectively.

Increased Longevity

In a retrospective study of 34 healthy Hall of Fame baseball players who played between 1900 and 1950, optimists lived significantly longer. Other studies have shown that optimistic breast cancer patients had a better quality of life than pessimistic and hopeless patients.

Less Stress

Optimists also tend to experienceless stressthan pessimists or realists. Because they believe in themselves and their abilities, they expect good things to happen. They see negative events as minor setbacks to be easily overcome and view positive events as evidence of further good things to come. Believing in themselves, they also take more risks and create more positive events in their lives.

Research shows that optimists are more proactive withstress management. They tend to favor approaches that reduce or eliminate stressors and their emotional consequences. Because optimists work harder at stress management, they are less stressed.

Optimism is generally a positive characteristic that confers a number of physical and mental health benefits. But this does not mean that is doesn’t have a few potential pitfalls. Some ways that optimism can be detrimental include:

Can an Optimist and a Pessimist Be Compatible?

11 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Carver CS, Scheier MF, Segerstrom SC.Optimism.Clin Psychol Rev. 2010;30(7):879-889. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2010.01.006Plomin R, Scheier MF, Bergeman CS, Pedersen NL, Nesselroade JR, McClearn GE.Optimism, pessimism and mental health: A twin/adoption analysis.Personality and Individual Differences. 1992;13(8):921-930. doi:10.1016/0191-8869(92)90009-EChopik WJ, Oh J, Kim ES, et al.Changes in optimism and pessimism in response to life events: Evidence from three large panel studies.Journal of Research in Personality. 2020;88:103985. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2020.103985Hecht D.The neural basis of optimism and pessimism.Exp Neurobiol. 2013;22(3):173-199. doi:10.5607/en.2013.22.3.173Carver CS, Scheier MF.Dispositional optimism.Trends Cogn Sci. 2014;18(6):293-299. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2014.02.003Wells T, Albright L, Keown K, et al.Expressive writing: Improving optimism, purpose, and resilience writing and gratitude.Innov Aging. 2018;2(Suppl 1):241. doi:10.1093/geroni/igy023.900Smyth JM, Johnson JA, Auer BJ, Lehman E, Talamo G, Sciamanna CN.Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: A preliminary randomized controlled trial.JMIR Ment Health. 2018;5(4):e11290. doi:10.2196/11290Conversano C, Rotondo A, Lensi E, Della vista O, Arpone F, Reda MA.Optimism and its impact on mental and physical well-being.Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2010;6:25-9. doi:10.2174%2F1745017901006010025Stanula A, Maszczyk A, Roczniok R, et al.The development and prediction of athletic performance in freestyle swimming.J Hum Kinet. 2012;32:97-107. doi:10.2478/v10078-012-0027-3Driessen E, Hollon SD.Cognitive behavioral therapy for mood disorders: Efficacy, moderators and mediators.Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2010;33(3):537-555. doi:10.1016/j.psc.2010.04.005Applebaum AJ, Stein EM, Lord-Bessen J, Pessin H, Rosenfeld B, Breitbart W.Optimism, social support, and mental health outcomes in patients with advanced cancer.Psychooncology. 2014;23(3):299-306. doi:10.1002/pon.3418

11 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Carver CS, Scheier MF, Segerstrom SC.Optimism.Clin Psychol Rev. 2010;30(7):879-889. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2010.01.006Plomin R, Scheier MF, Bergeman CS, Pedersen NL, Nesselroade JR, McClearn GE.Optimism, pessimism and mental health: A twin/adoption analysis.Personality and Individual Differences. 1992;13(8):921-930. doi:10.1016/0191-8869(92)90009-EChopik WJ, Oh J, Kim ES, et al.Changes in optimism and pessimism in response to life events: Evidence from three large panel studies.Journal of Research in Personality. 2020;88:103985. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2020.103985Hecht D.The neural basis of optimism and pessimism.Exp Neurobiol. 2013;22(3):173-199. doi:10.5607/en.2013.22.3.173Carver CS, Scheier MF.Dispositional optimism.Trends Cogn Sci. 2014;18(6):293-299. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2014.02.003Wells T, Albright L, Keown K, et al.Expressive writing: Improving optimism, purpose, and resilience writing and gratitude.Innov Aging. 2018;2(Suppl 1):241. doi:10.1093/geroni/igy023.900Smyth JM, Johnson JA, Auer BJ, Lehman E, Talamo G, Sciamanna CN.Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: A preliminary randomized controlled trial.JMIR Ment Health. 2018;5(4):e11290. doi:10.2196/11290Conversano C, Rotondo A, Lensi E, Della vista O, Arpone F, Reda MA.Optimism and its impact on mental and physical well-being.Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2010;6:25-9. doi:10.2174%2F1745017901006010025Stanula A, Maszczyk A, Roczniok R, et al.The development and prediction of athletic performance in freestyle swimming.J Hum Kinet. 2012;32:97-107. doi:10.2478/v10078-012-0027-3Driessen E, Hollon SD.Cognitive behavioral therapy for mood disorders: Efficacy, moderators and mediators.Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2010;33(3):537-555. doi:10.1016/j.psc.2010.04.005Applebaum AJ, Stein EM, Lord-Bessen J, Pessin H, Rosenfeld B, Breitbart W.Optimism, social support, and mental health outcomes in patients with advanced cancer.Psychooncology. 2014;23(3):299-306. doi:10.1002/pon.3418

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Carver CS, Scheier MF, Segerstrom SC.Optimism.Clin Psychol Rev. 2010;30(7):879-889. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2010.01.006Plomin R, Scheier MF, Bergeman CS, Pedersen NL, Nesselroade JR, McClearn GE.Optimism, pessimism and mental health: A twin/adoption analysis.Personality and Individual Differences. 1992;13(8):921-930. doi:10.1016/0191-8869(92)90009-EChopik WJ, Oh J, Kim ES, et al.Changes in optimism and pessimism in response to life events: Evidence from three large panel studies.Journal of Research in Personality. 2020;88:103985. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2020.103985Hecht D.The neural basis of optimism and pessimism.Exp Neurobiol. 2013;22(3):173-199. doi:10.5607/en.2013.22.3.173Carver CS, Scheier MF.Dispositional optimism.Trends Cogn Sci. 2014;18(6):293-299. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2014.02.003Wells T, Albright L, Keown K, et al.Expressive writing: Improving optimism, purpose, and resilience writing and gratitude.Innov Aging. 2018;2(Suppl 1):241. doi:10.1093/geroni/igy023.900Smyth JM, Johnson JA, Auer BJ, Lehman E, Talamo G, Sciamanna CN.Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: A preliminary randomized controlled trial.JMIR Ment Health. 2018;5(4):e11290. doi:10.2196/11290Conversano C, Rotondo A, Lensi E, Della vista O, Arpone F, Reda MA.Optimism and its impact on mental and physical well-being.Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2010;6:25-9. doi:10.2174%2F1745017901006010025Stanula A, Maszczyk A, Roczniok R, et al.The development and prediction of athletic performance in freestyle swimming.J Hum Kinet. 2012;32:97-107. doi:10.2478/v10078-012-0027-3Driessen E, Hollon SD.Cognitive behavioral therapy for mood disorders: Efficacy, moderators and mediators.Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2010;33(3):537-555. doi:10.1016/j.psc.2010.04.005Applebaum AJ, Stein EM, Lord-Bessen J, Pessin H, Rosenfeld B, Breitbart W.Optimism, social support, and mental health outcomes in patients with advanced cancer.Psychooncology. 2014;23(3):299-306. doi:10.1002/pon.3418

Carver CS, Scheier MF, Segerstrom SC.Optimism.Clin Psychol Rev. 2010;30(7):879-889. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2010.01.006

Plomin R, Scheier MF, Bergeman CS, Pedersen NL, Nesselroade JR, McClearn GE.Optimism, pessimism and mental health: A twin/adoption analysis.Personality and Individual Differences. 1992;13(8):921-930. doi:10.1016/0191-8869(92)90009-E

Chopik WJ, Oh J, Kim ES, et al.Changes in optimism and pessimism in response to life events: Evidence from three large panel studies.Journal of Research in Personality. 2020;88:103985. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2020.103985

Hecht D.The neural basis of optimism and pessimism.Exp Neurobiol. 2013;22(3):173-199. doi:10.5607/en.2013.22.3.173

Carver CS, Scheier MF.Dispositional optimism.Trends Cogn Sci. 2014;18(6):293-299. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2014.02.003

Wells T, Albright L, Keown K, et al.Expressive writing: Improving optimism, purpose, and resilience writing and gratitude.Innov Aging. 2018;2(Suppl 1):241. doi:10.1093/geroni/igy023.900

Smyth JM, Johnson JA, Auer BJ, Lehman E, Talamo G, Sciamanna CN.Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: A preliminary randomized controlled trial.JMIR Ment Health. 2018;5(4):e11290. doi:10.2196/11290

Conversano C, Rotondo A, Lensi E, Della vista O, Arpone F, Reda MA.Optimism and its impact on mental and physical well-being.Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2010;6:25-9. doi:10.2174%2F1745017901006010025

Stanula A, Maszczyk A, Roczniok R, et al.The development and prediction of athletic performance in freestyle swimming.J Hum Kinet. 2012;32:97-107. doi:10.2478/v10078-012-0027-3

Driessen E, Hollon SD.Cognitive behavioral therapy for mood disorders: Efficacy, moderators and mediators.Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2010;33(3):537-555. doi:10.1016/j.psc.2010.04.005

Applebaum AJ, Stein EM, Lord-Bessen J, Pessin H, Rosenfeld B, Breitbart W.Optimism, social support, and mental health outcomes in patients with advanced cancer.Psychooncology. 2014;23(3):299-306. doi:10.1002/pon.3418

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