Algemeen·NRC·27 mei

The benefits—and dangers—of optimism

It pays to be an optimist. Upbeat types tend to be in better health. A meta-analysis by Alan Rozanski, a cardiologist, and his co-authors found that optimism was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events. They also tend to be resilient. Optimists are likely to see setbacks as temporary and attributable to external circumstances, whereas pessimists regard reverses as a verdict on their own enduring weaknesses.