Optimistic

Optimism is a mental attitude or world view that interprets situations and events as being best (optimized), meaning that in some way for factors that may not be fully comprehended, the present moment is in an optimum state. The concept is typically extended to include the attitude of hope for future conditions unfolding as optimal as well. The more broad concept of optimism is the understanding that all of nature, past, present and future, operates by laws of optimization along the lines of Hamilton's principle of optimization in the realm of physics. This understanding, although criticized by counter arguments such as pessimism, idealism and realism, leads to a state of mind that believes everything is as it should be, and that the future will be as well.

Origins of Optimism

The term "optimism" is derived from the Latin word "optimum", meaning "best". Being optimistic, in the typical sense of the word, ultimately means one expects the best possible outcome from any given situation. This is usually referred to in psychology as dispositional optimism. Researchers sometimes operationalize the term differently depending on their research, however. For example, Martin Seligman and his fellow researchers define it in terms of explanatory style, which is based on the way one explains life events. As for any trait characteristic, there are several ways to evaluate optimism, such as various forms of the Life Orientation Test, for the original definition of optimism, or the Attributional Style Questionnaire designed to test optimism in terms of explanatory style.

Optimism and Psychology

In psychology, optimism is a cognitive bias that causes a person to believe that they will experience a disproportionate number of good things (as opposed to bad things) in the future. This bias leads to a positive Illusory superiority bias, where individuals believe they are at less risk of experiencing a negative event compared to others. There is also a correlation between optimism and physical health. Studies show that optimistic people have a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease and other causes. Optimism also has an impact on mental health; optimistic mental health is correlated with reduced depressive symptoms, reduced risk of death from suicide, and increased longevity.

Optimism and Philosophy

In the philosophy of Voltaire, optimism is merely a term used to describe a worldview where "all is for the best". In the 19th century, the philosophy of optimism was argued against by Arthur Schopenhauer. He believed that the best that one could hope for was to reduce suffering. This pessimistic worldview was challenged by philosophers such as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Karl Marx and Friedrich Nietzsche, who believed in human progress, although they did not necessarily believe in a utopian future as the ultimate goal of this progress.

See Also

• Pessimism
• Realism (philosophy)
• Idealism
• Positive psychology
• Attribution (psychology)