The FLASH

Optimism: Personality or Choice?

Is the glass half empty or half full? Chances are that you’ve heard this question before. It is often used to ‘define’ someone as either an optimist or a pessimist. The truth is that some days, the answer might be different than on others. Or later in life, someone might have a different outlook. Or maybe, it’s just a glass of water. No matter which way you look at it or how your view changes over time, this question cannot decide whether somebody has a hopeful outlook on life or not. Some people view optimism as a personality trait, while others think of it as a choice. So which is it?

In an NPR broadcast from 2020, Martin Seligman explained his study on how optimism can be both a lifelong trait and something learnable. Seligman began his study by experimenting on dogs. He would give each dog an electric shock if it tried to escape. After a while, he cultivated a feeling of complete helplessness in the animals. Even when given a free chance of escape, they wouldn’t take it. They believed their situation was hopeless. Seligman tried the same thing on animal after animal, but the result was always the same. Then, Seligman recreated the same situation on human volunteers. Two-thirds had the same result as the animals. The other third however, refused to be crushed. After talking to these people, he realized they had the view that the pain was only temporary and the situation would go away eventually. These people had an optimistic personality trait. After seeing these people’s outlook on life, Marin wondered if he could cultivate the same view in other people. In the schools of the Philadelphia suburbs, Seligman and his team taught classes of children to sort through the roots of their problems and find them temporary. Before these classes, significantly more students had been flagged for signs of depression than after them.

While optimism can be both known and learned, no one is completely optimistic all the time. In fact, excessive optimism can be dangerous. People who have excessive optimism take risks without considering the consequences. This can lead to injury, trauma, or death. So God gave our brains a balance. Optimism comes from the left half of your brain, while pessimism originates from the right half. Everyone’s life contains a different balance of decisions and signals sent by both halves. Some people are optimistic about certain parts of their life, but pessimistic about others. Everybody varies from day to day, ranging from one side of the spectrum to the other. People with left-dominant brains are usually optimists. These people are naturally optimistic.

So what happens if the right-half of your brain is more dominant? Well, you’re not just destined to be a pessimist for life. When people are optimistic or pessimistic, the biggest difference is their outlook on solving problems. So, if you force yourself to see things differently and consistently train your mind, you can literally rewire your brain to become more dominant on the left side. Dr. Richard J. Davidson conducted a study in which he taught mindfulness to workers in high stress jobs. After three hours of training a week for two months, the workers reported feeling less anxious and much happier. When their brain activity was studied, evidence showed it had shifted from the right to the left. This study proves that change is possible!

In this sinful world optimism is becoming less and less prevalent. More than twenty five percent of the people on this earth inherit optimism genetically. This optimism however, can be stolen. Growing up in a bad environment can easily rewire your brain to the right half. Working in high stress situations, dealing with harsh people, or simply the wear and tear of life can turn anyone into a pessimist. Maintaining optimism can seem like a chore, but it’s worth it. Creating a healthy support system for yourself, creating good relationships, and living a healthy lifestyle can all help keep you optimistic. While optimism is a wonderful personality trait to have, the choice to maintain it is yours.