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People who tend to be optimistic are likelier to live to 85 or more: study

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Re: People who tend to be optimistic are likelier to live to 85 or more: study

#121

Post by [deleted] »

mewpmewp2 wrote: post #60
kristiandupont wrote: post #50

Yesterday, my wife stumbled upon a "20 pieces of good news" article and read it to me. Things like initiatives being taken to save the bees etc. At first I thought it was a bit silly but I realized that hearing all those good things did something wonderful: it made me feel quite optimistic on behalf of the world, which I can't say I have in a while (in spite of my own life going quite well). Keeping informed is the d…

You should read "factfulness". It annoys me when people talk of the current world and time in negative tones when it is best we have ever had by many measurements. Not that we are having a terrible time, but it is cool to think negatively of the world it seems to me.

[deleted]

Re: People who tend to be optimistic are likelier to live to 85 or more: study

#122

Post by jyounker »

aytekin wrote: post #38

More likely: "People who live 85 or more have more of the good things like health and safe environment which also makes them optimistic."

There is a lot of data over many decades that supports the expectation that optimism (which ISTR has pretty clear a definition) creates all sorts of positive life event outcomes. (e.g. you're more likely to succeed in whatever endeavors you choose if you're optimistic, which in turn tends to create a safe and supportive environment.)

Re: People who tend to be optimistic are likelier to live to 85 or more: study

#124

Post by tomp »

jyounker wrote: post #122
aytekin wrote: post #38

More likely: "People who live 85 or more have more of the good things like health and safe environment which also makes them optimistic."

There is a lot of data over many decades that supports the expectation that optimism (which ISTR has pretty clear a definition) creates all sorts of positive life event outcomes. (e.g. you're more likely to succeed in whatever endeavors you choose if you're optimistic, which in turn tends to create a safe and supportive environment.)

How could you possibly measure that? By the time that children even understand the concept of “optimism” (or even “future”), they have already had years (decades?) of positive or negative signals (either from their environment, or from their genes) that likely cause both optimism and success (such as non-abusive parents, health, etc.).

Re: People who tend to be optimistic are likelier to live to 85 or more: study

#125

Post by mindfulgeek »

aytekin wrote: post #38

More likely: "People who live 85 or more have more of the good things like health and safe environment which also makes them optimistic."

Some of the most positive people I’ve met have lived in the worst of circumstances. The mind decides what it wants about the situation. Optimism is a powerful tool, even if only the person using it can feel the difference.

Re: People who tend to be optimistic are likelier to live to 85 or more: study

#126

Post by tomp »

achenatx wrote: post #98
rzzzt wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What if the constant presence of stress hormones makes people more prone to pessimism?

Anecdotally, Ive been very fortunate to have a positive brain chemistry. When bad things have happened, my brain pretty much doesn't worry on them. Eventually things work out (or something good eventually happens) and I get through the bad times. There is no way to explain or describe this positive brain chemistry in a way that anyone can believe. But since I was a kid, my parents have been worried that Im too happy…

So you’re saying that good brain chemistry causes optimism, low stress and longevity?

Re: People who tend to be optimistic are likelier to live to 85 or more: study

#127

Post by daxorid »

mewpmewp2 wrote: post #60
kristiandupont wrote: post #50

Yesterday, my wife stumbled upon a "20 pieces of good news" article and read it to me. Things like initiatives being taken to save the bees etc. At first I thought it was a bit silly but I realized that hearing all those good things did something wonderful: it made me feel quite optimistic on behalf of the world, which I can't say I have in a while (in spite of my own life going quite well). Keeping informed is the d…

You should read "factfulness". It annoys me when people talk of the current world and time in negative tones when it is best we have ever had by many measurements. Not that we are having a terrible time, but it is cool to think negatively of the world it seems to me.

best we have ever had by many measurements

The problem with this view is that Easter Island was probably the best it ever was until the last tree was cut down.

Of COURSE your standard of living will be the highest it's ever been when you're on the upslope of resource utilization/credit expansion.

The few bears/grinches/negative nellies/chicken littles remaining aren't going around proclaiming how terrible things are right now - rather, we're pessimistic about what the future will bring. And we all want to be wrong, but don't think we are.

Re: People who tend to be optimistic are likelier to live to 85 or more: study

#128

Post by winrid »

Met a 91 year old guy during my travels in China. He was walking around and talking to people when I was there without help.

His family said he drinks a beer for breakfast every day. He drank Boju (instead of beer) before his wife died several years ago.

Maybe the secret to a long life is 40% alcohol, a happy marriage, and good genetics.

He looked very happy.

Re: People who tend to be optimistic are likelier to live to 85 or more: study

#129

Post by watwut »

tomp wrote: post #124
jyounker wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a lot of data over many decades that supports the expectation that optimism (which ISTR has pretty clear a definition) creates all sorts of positive life event outcomes. (e.g. you're more likely to succeed in whatever endeavors you choose if you're optimistic, which in turn tends to create a safe and supportive environment.)

How could you possibly measure that? By the time that children even understand the concept of “optimism” (or even “future”), they have already had years (decades?) of positive or negative signals (either from their environment, or from their genes) that likely cause both optimism and success (such as non-abusive parents, health, etc.).

If you assume that everything will turn out bad, you wont even try. If you assume all people around you are assholes, you wont even try good relationships. Plus, people like better optimistically looking people and reward them more then pessimistic people with equal merit.

Moreover, outward apparent optimism create illusion of success even when there is not actual real success backing it. (The optimism does not even have to be real, you just have to be committed to consistently pretend it.)

Re: People who tend to be optimistic are likelier to live to 85 or more: study

#130

Post by hadiz »

"Optimism Bias" improves our mental and physical well-being. Biases are irrational, by definition. Our mind is supposedly rational...and rationality is not always to our benefit.

This kinda blew my mind when I was reading up some philosophy. My key takeaway was that rationality and logic is not always helpful to make decisions, esp. when it comes to complex systems such as people (i.e. relationships). As an engineer, it's tough to get past this mindset. On a daily basis I am striving to disconnect everything as much as possible because of scale and performance, but the human brain is nothing like that.

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