14 DAY TRIAL // While being an optimist has numerous advantages, such as for instance improving health and reducing stress, it also has its drawbacks. In a new study, researchers focused on understanding why some people remain optimistic even in the face of unsurmountable odds.
The team discovered that the brains of the overly-optimistic functioned in a very peculiar way. In order to understand the difference, it's important to note here that the human brain has a live update function that enables it to change its mental projections of the future based on how current events unfold.
This is of critical importance in every aspect of our lives, from turning a corner with our car to making long-term financial prognosis. In people who exhibit a lot of optimism, certain areas of the brain became unable to process new data as they become available, but in a very precise way.
What this means is that the frontal lobes of the brain become highly active only when the new data being inserted into mental calculations is better than expected. If the information is worse than anticipated, then the frontal lobes activate only slightly.
University College London (UCL) explain that people displaying this type of behavior tend to take into account only data that support their larger-than-life view of things, but never consider information that may chip away at this perceived shine.
This behavior can have disastrous consequences if left unchecked. Scientists say that some of the blame for the 2008 financial crisis lies with market analysts who were so confident and optimistic about the decisions they were making that they failed to see how they planted the seeds of their own downfall.
“Seeing the glass as half full rather than half empty can be a positive thing – it can lower stress and anxiety and be good for our health and well-being,” research team member and UCL expert Dr. Tali Sharot explains.
“But it can also mean that we are less likely to take precautionary action, such as practicing safe sex or saving for retirement. So why don’t we learn from cautionary information?” she goes on to say.
“Our study suggests that we pick and choose the information that we listen to. The more optimistic we are, the less likely we are to be influenced by negative information about the future,” Dr. Sharot adds.
According to Dr. John Williams, the new study could be used to gain a deeper understanding of why some people tend to remain optimistic even when all odds are against them. The expert is the head of Neuroscience and Mental Health division at the Wellcome Trust.
Details of the new investigation were published in the latest issue of the top journal Nature Neuroscience, PsychCentral reports.