Are squirrels really pessimists?
Nooo! I don’t want to believe it! I’ve prided myself on being an optimist! And I just know that it is good for me to think optimistically!!
But…
research published by the American Psychological Association last year showed that pessimists-because of their penchant for seeing life through a grim lens-take steps to improve their health, and thus tend to live longer than optimists.
In addition, optimistic senior citizens who overestimated how happy they would be in 5 years were found to have a 9.5% increase in disabilities and a 10% greater risk of death.
(It does makes sense if you consider that the squirrel most worried about winter will save the most acorns and be glad he did!)
But that squirrel is not really a pessimist; he’s actually a “realist.”
Seeing a problem (like your cholesterol level or being overweight) does not make you a pessimist, but rather a realist. That study defined optimism incorrectly, as irrationally optimistic.
Irrational optimists think nothing bad will happen to them or their families, so they don’t take any positive steps to change.
True pessimists believe their behavior doesn’t matter, so they don’t take positive steps to change.
A rational optimist is someone who starts with a realistic assessment of the present while maintaining a belief that their behavior matters. And so they take positive steps to change.
Optimism and pessimism come into play after you see the problem
So… we can become rational and live longer!
We can channel our inner rational optimist by thinking of three proactive actions we can take to make things better.
- Maybe it’s limiting ourselves to only 3 desserts a week?
- Maybe it’s taking a half hour brisk walk 3 times a week?
- Maybe it’s just serving our meals on smaller plates?
What aspect of life has you worried?
3 Comments
Rational optimism. I like the sound of that! Mostly – I want to believe – that’s my place on the continuum. Having said that, I’m also rather like a liquid, fluidly moving from one perspective to another now and again.
George Bernard Shaw’s quote tells us that no matter how we think, we can contribute to the world. Now, back to the squirrels, I think of them as nature’s acrobats. What other critter would have the courage to walk across a high wire at a fast pace? And nobody has as of yet figured out how to build a bird feeder that is squirrel proof. They love to taunt dogs, knowing they can climb a tree and laugh at the dogs at the base barking at them. And they do not try to figure out whether they are an optimist or pessimist, they just do what they are created to do. We can learn a lot from them.
Pat,
You and your wisdom every week make my day! Thanks for sharing.
Sue