Sometimes we are invaded by pessimism. Taking longer than expected to pay off a debt; participate in a thousand selection processes and fail in any of them; the continuous troubles of love life; when we don't get what we want, the light at the end of the tunnel gets further and further away, until it disappears completely. Pessimism increases as we get older, due to the accumulation of frustrations. Those who always expect the worst of situations and people see the glass as “half empty”.
Such conduct has a marked presence in philosophy and literature. For the Chinese philosopher Confucius “Pessimism makes men cautious, while optimism makes men reckless”. The Irish writer Oscar Wilde said that “A pessimist is a person who, given the choice between two evils, prefers both”. However, Winston Churchill considered pessimism one of the greatest human limitations “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; the optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty”, said the former British prime minister.
The pessimist is also present in entertainment. The character Migraine Boy, created in the 90s by Greg Fiering, is extremely pessimistic, antisocial, bored and morbid. Migraine Boy's response to the boy who offered an umbrella in the middle of the storm defines his personality well: “Thank you, I'd rather catch pneumonia and die”.
However, being too optimistic can be harmful. Those who always believe that everything will work out tend to neglect. Ignores setbacks such as traffic, the possibility of failures in public transport and does not leave home in advance, for example. The pessimist sees such difficulties, leaves earlier for their appointments, putting into practice the motto “prevention is better than cure”.
But pessimism becomes a problem when negative thoughts affect physical and psychological health, as well as disrupt social and professional life. When the person refuses all invitations to parties because he believes they will be boring, does not make an effort to study for a test, because he is sure he will not pass, these are signs that the individual is starting to lose his sense of reality.
The chronic pessimist defends his convictions tooth and nail. Defeats are justified by him as inherent to his being. This behavior is used as a form of protection. If anything good happens, it's profit, because the chain of failure has been temporarily broken, but if all else fails, your theories have been confirmed and the individual plunges deeper and deeper into this destructive behavior.
How science explains the pessimism?
A study carried out with twins by Tim Spector, from St Thomas' hospital in London, points out that personality differences occur due to genetic factors. The researcher claims that our genes are adjusted throughout life in response to environmental factors. This process is called epigenetics. Spector points out that there are mechanisms to “turn on” and “turn off” genes. The research found changes in genetic activity caused by the presence or absence of maternal love.
affective mental state
The affective state of mind is the way we see the world. Researcher Elaine Fox, from the University of Essex, in Great Britain, studies how it shapes us. Fox and her team found that the more intense the electrical activity in the right frontal part of the cortex (compared to the left), the greater the tendency towards pessimism and anxiety.
Pessimism and death
Pessimistic people are stressed and anxious. In a survey carried out in the city of Oxford, Ohio (USA) in 1975, a thousand people filled out a questionnaire about family, health, jobs and perspectives on old age. The answers were analyzed decades later by scientist Becca Levy, from Yale University (USA). Those with the most positive reviews lived, on average, seven and a half years longer than the pessimists. Possible explanations for this fact are that pessimistic people are influenced by previous illnesses and depression.
Pessimism prevents the individual from having a healthy existence. Invitations are refused, the opportunity to meet interesting places and people is ignored, and loneliness becomes real. Nobody wants to be around someone who only sees the bad side of everything. However, even though it is unpleasant to have this type of company, it is important to investigate why it is like this. A frank conversation, a space to expose feelings, without judgment is the way out to understand the reasons for negative thoughts.
In times of economic crisis, pessimism gains strength. Losing a job, reducing salary or finding it difficult to get back into the job market leaves anyone with their heads down, which is perfectly understandable. But regrets only make a situation worse in and of itself. Difficulties can bring with them a world of opportunities. Those who make cakes or meals to sell to form or supplement income are reacting to a difficult time, instead of lamenting bad luck and the difficult time.
Those who don't complain because they don't pass exams, those who regret not being able to complete courses due to their inability to learn, need to rethink their behavior. A clear example of how chronic pessimism hinders their success are the lectures given to athletes in moments of crisis and before decisions. Sports professionals learn to master this feeling with the realization that pessimism will drive them further and further into the pit, while positive thinking coupled with hard work is the key to success. If you're still not convinced about the harms of pessimism, let's show you how negative thoughts influence your health in practice.
How negativity affects your health
Negative thoughts compromise metabolism, immune system and organs. According to Carstem Wrosch, leader of the research carried out by the University of Concordia, in Montreal (Canada), negativity culminates cravings for anger and hormonal imbalance, which impoverishes the chemical reactions in the brain responsible for feelings of happiness.
Following this line of reasoning, pessimism makes it difficult to recover from pathologies. Positive people adhere to diet, exercise and drug treatment, because they believe these elements are important to improve their clinical condition, emphasizes Daniela Levy, psychologist and president of the Positive Psychology Association of Latin America (Appal).
Those who have incorporated optimism into their lives after a heart attack increase their life expectancy by 15 years. Researchers at the University of Illinois (USA) studied the effects of optimism on heart health, monitoring 6 people for 11 years. According to the study, optimists are twice as likely to have good heart condition.
Another study that proves the relationship between optimism and good health is carried out in 2013 by the Harvard School of Public Health (USA). Middle-aged optimists have better good cholesterol levels and lower triglycerides. Nir Barzilai, director of the Research Institute on Aging at the University of Yeshiva (USA), points out that optimism is a common quality of the 243 centenarians analyzed in a survey.
Given this scenario, it is time to incorporate optimism. However, how to think positive in the midst of so many problems? There is training for that. Check out our tips and put them into practice today:
- Analyze an adverse situation and try to find three positive aspects.
- When pessimism hits you in full force, don't repress that thought, let all the absurdities surface. After the daydream you will see that this apocalypse exists only in your head.
- In situations where you were very pessimistic, imagine that they are movies. Put yourself in the role of director and analyze what changes are needed to change the course of the stories.
- Think about situations that can lead you to pessimism. Write what you would like to say and how you would like to react.
- Record each time you manage to overcome pessimism. Keeping a look back keeps you strong on the importance of positive thinking.
How to be positive at work
No one is free from having bad days at work. Activities that multiply, tight deadlines, colleagues who spread bad feelings. Positive attitudes also work wonders in the workplace. Here are simple tips to make your work life more productive:
- Deep abdominal breathing (or diaphragmatic breathing). In this technique, the body receives a full load of oxygen. It brings relaxation that relieves anxiety. Inhale slowly and deeply. Fill your lungs with air. Deep breathing helps with body awareness. By focusing on the breath, worries take a back seat;
- Spread positive thoughts through conversations, emails and notes;
- Think about what you can learn from adverse situations.
If you need illustrations to understand the value of optimism, cinema provides beautiful examples. Scarlett O'Hara, protagonist of the movie "Gone with the Wind" begins the story as a spoiled girl. Over the course of the story, her life is transformed by the civil war. Scarlett starves, however, she overcomes the difficulties and becomes a successful merchant, and starts to provide for her family and friends. Another example to be followed is the researcher Virginia Johnson. She overcame the difficulties of being a divorced working woman and became one of the pioneers of the study of human sexuality.
We all go through difficult times, however, the problem is to cultivate them. Repeating the mantras “nothing goes right for me”, “I can't do this” harms your physical and mental health. Pessimism is one of the symptoms of depression. People with this disorder simply give up on life, they don't study because they don't believe in their intelligence, they don't cultivate a social life because they don't believe they are capable of captivating people, they don't take care of their health because they will die one day. Pessimists do only the bare minimum to ensure physical survival.
Chronic pessimism can be treated with Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.
Cognitive behavioral psychotherapy techniques eliminate the elements responsible for destructive thought patterns. The therapist's mission is to take the patient back to the past, so that he can relive events and reactions. In the sessions, the person understands the following concepts:
- Realizes that he is guided by thought patterns and learns to identify them;
- Recognizes the relationships between thoughts, emotions and behaviors;
- Replaces pessimistic thoughts with positive ideas.
spread positivism
Spreading pessimism only brings bad things. Spreading positivism attracts good energy. As much as things are not as you imagined, never give in to difficulties. Whoever gives up once gives up always. Anyone who regrets sees life go by. Earn little? Make cakes or truffles to sell. Lost your job? Don't go to the selection processes already thinking it won't work. Don't refuse invitations because you don't think any are worth it. Don't make social media a wailing wall, posting things like "I'm tired of suffering", "I can't take this life anymore". These messages cause pity or are solemnly ignored. Post phrases, excerpts from books and songs with positive content. Spread these messages around the house and on your workstation:
- Being optimistic in the face of a problem already makes you a winner.
- Be optimist. If there seems to be a dark cloud under your life, look on the bright side, it could be a sign that it will rain in your garden.
The world is not against you. The person responsible for this gray cloud is yourself. If the past was filled with pain and disappointment, it doesn't mean that the present and the future will be the same. Professional life can be prosperous, love can take new directions. We have free will to lead our lives, so don't waste your time with negative feelings and thoughts. Even with difficulties, the glass must always be full, full of possibilities, full of life. Pessimism paralyzes your life, harms your physical and mental health. Your negativism makes your worst nightmares come true. Create positive circumstances, get off the couch and take action.
The best way to end this conversation is to bring the thought of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, quoted at the beginning of this chat: “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty".
- Text written by Sumaia Santana from the Eu Sem Fronteiras Team
