Benefits of pessimism!
Our culture is saturated with upbeat messages, encouraging us to think positively. All the while, pessimism is typically regarded as a flaw or a hindrance but could it actually bring its own benefits?
Pessimism is often defined as the expectation of negative outcomes, especially in the collective consciousness. People who tend to see the glass as half empty rather than half full are therefore perceived as messengers of doom and gloom.
More importantly, pessimism is sometimes tied to health risks. One study reported by Medical News Today last year, for example, concluded that pessimists were at a heightened risk of death from heart disease.
This might make sense to us given that pessimists are, by nature, worriers who expect the worst possible outcome in all uncertain situations. But could we be wrong in dismissing pessimism? Do we miss a trick when we insist on thinking positively?
Julie Norem a researcher in psychology at Wellesley College in Massachusetts argues that a certain degree of pessimism has its benefits.
In a book called The Positive Power of Negative Thinking, which has gained considerable attention in the media, Norem draws on previous research to argue that in many cases, pessimism is a helpful coping and strategizing tool. She calls this defensive pessimism.
In an interview, Norem characterized defensive pessimism as an effective strategy for dealing with anxiety and helping to manage anxiety so that it doesnt negatively influence performance.
If you feel anxious, she added, you need to do something about it. Usually people try to run away from whatever situation makes you anxious. But there are other ways of dealing with it. Defensive pessimism is one way. When people are being defensively pessimistic, they set low expectations, she says, but then they take the next step which is to think through in concrete and vivid ways what exactly might go wrong. This allows defensive pessimists to plan ahead and feel better prepared for whatever obstacles they may have to face in the future.
That being said, she acknowledges that there are also some potential drawbacks to defensive pessimism. One downside, Norem says, may lie in how others perceive you especially if you voice your negative scenarios out loud. Other people may misunderstand this self-preparation tactic and take it as a sign that youre not ready for the job ahead, for instance.
Another potential problem might arise from visualizing unspecific catastrophic scenarios. The more internal drawbacks are if instead of thinking of negative possibilities in very specific terms, you start spiraling out of control, as Norem puts it.
Thats what clinicians consider catastrophizing to be, she explains. Instead of thinking of specific things that can go wrong that you can prevent, you say, This talk is going to be a disaster. My whole life is a mess.
Optimism may sometimes hold you back from achieving the best results, both in your personal life and at work. Having high hopes for the future could also lead to poor decision-making.
One study shows that tornado survivors tend to become unhealthily optimistic, thinking that when a tornado hits next, its unlikely that theyll be affected.
This is because they believe that if bad luck misses you once, its unlikely to strike again in the future.
Yet this type of thinking ignores the fact that this is not necessarily a realistic outlook, and it keeps people from preparing for negative events. People who tend to imagine a bright future for themselves are less likely to actively pursue that scenario in real life, research suggests.
Medical News Today
