Half-Empty or Half-Full?

I have in my hand an eight-ounce glass, with four ounces of lemonade. Is the glass half empty, or half full? Your answer may help to determine if you are an optimist or a pessimist. Whereas an optimist tends to see the brighter or more hopeful side of things, a pessimist tends to view things with less confidence. Either perspective can determine the outcome of your health.  

According to a series of studies from the United States and Europe, “optimism helps people cope with disease and recover from surgery.” Even more impressive is the impact of a positive outlook on overall health and longevity. Research suggests that an optimistic outlook early in life can predict better health and a lower rate of death during follow-up periods of 15 to 40 years.

In a 1988 study from Harvard Medical School, it would appear that to investigate optimism, scientists first needed to develop reliable ways to measure the trait. Two systems were used. One measured dispositional optimism, the other explanatory style. Dispositional optimism depends on positive expectations for one's future. These are not confined to one or two aspects of life but are generalized expectations for a good outcome in several areas.

Explanatory style is based on how a person explains good or bad news. The pessimist assumes blame for bad news ("It's me"), assumes the situation is stable ("It will last forever"), and has a global impact ("It will affect everything I do"). The optimist, on the other hand, does not assume blame for negative events. Instead, he tends to give himself credit for good news, assumes good things will last, and be confident that positive developments will spill over into many areas of his life.

I believe that some people are optimistic by nature, but many of us learn optimism as well. According to Stanford Professor Leah Weiss, anyone can learn to be optimistic — the trick is to find purpose in work and life. “When we work with purpose or live with purpose, we feel more fulfilled and better equipped to see the glass ‘half full.’”

One study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that writing in a journal about what you are grateful for was linked to greater feelings of optimism, while another published in the Journal of Happiness Studies found that keeping a journal in which you write down your own acts of kindness can also give your optimism a boost. More and more studies are confirming that writing down what you’re grateful for comes with some pretty impressive physical benefits as well, including better sleep, fewer aches and pains and fewer depressive symptoms.

A short-term study evaluated the link between optimism and overall health in 2,300 older adults. Over two years, people who had a positive outlook were much more likely to stay healthy and enjoy independent living than their less cheerful peers. If optimism actually improves health, it should also boost longevity.

Another study in the United States looked at 6,959 students who took a comprehensive personality test when they entered the University of North Carolina in the mid-1960s. During the next 40 years, 476 of the people died from a variety of causes, with cancer being the most common. All in all, pessimism took a substantial toll; the most pessimistic individuals had a 42% higher rate of death than the most optimistic.

Some may contend that optimists are not realists. They often overlook wrong, simply because of a disposition that expects them to think positively. Actually, optimism can be detrimental if it keeps you locked into fantasy and you are in denial about your current reality. For instance, you may be optimistic about finding a more lucrative job or loving relationship, but if you do not address the issues that are keeping you from those goals, you will not be able to achieve what you want.

Long before contemporary studies in optimism and pessimism, the Apostle Paul instructed Christians to think positively. In his letter to the Philippians, he contended that “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). His use of the word “think” is in the imperative mood. In other words, the action is a command to be obeyed, not an idea to be discussed. The idea was to replace dishonorable, unjust, impure, ugly, disgraceful, and detestable thoughts with positive and uplifting thoughts.

Imagine having an optimistic mindset in 2020! Such a perspective might bring about some of the changes you’ve longed to see. Have a Happy New Year!