The Surprising Benefits Of Having An 'Optimism Bias'
"Humans," she writes, "do not hold a positivity bias on account of having read too many self-help books. Rather, optimism may be so essential to our survival that it is hardwired into our most complex organ, the brain."
Sharot argues the root of optimism starts with mental time travel.
Close your eyes for a second. Imagine five years from now. What pops into your head? How do you see your family life? How do you see yourself professionally?
These (likely) unrealistic predictions of an amazing future extend to everything. We expect to do more work this week than last. Today was a bad day? No worries, tomorrow will be better.
Challenging the assertion that the key to life is low expectations:
Maybe that's why most of us wear rose-colored glasses:
Sharot argues that one of the reasons the optimism bias is so powerful is precisely because, similar to our other biases, we're largely unaware of its existence.
Having an overly positive sense of the future can be destructive. So what benefit does it serve?
She concludes:
"The Optimism Bias" explores the optimism bias by investigating when it works for us and when it is destructive and gives examples of how it promotes well-being. If you're not in the mood for a full book but still want to know more, read the shorter edition (Kindle only), "The Science of Optimism: Why We're Hard-Wired for Hope," which, in addition to the book, I quoted from above.