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LIT REVIEW: The Optimism Bias
Tali Sharot's The Optimism Bias: A Tour of the Irrationally Positive Brain examines why we prefer to see the glass half-full - and how this is both a benefit and a detriment to our well-being.
LIT REVIEW: The Optimism Bias
Tali Sharot's The Optimism Bias: A Tour of the Irrationally Positive Brain (Pantheon, June 14) examines why we prefer to see the glass half-full — and how this is both a benefit and a detriment to our well-being.
After observing that individuals consistently overestimate the likelihood of positive outcomes, Sharot concludes that this tendency — termed the “optimism bias” by psychologist Neil Weinstein — must have an adaptive purpose. So, why are we unfailingly optimistic? According to Sharot, once humans were able to contemplate the future and, along with it, their own mortality, optimism became a necessary ingredient for the continuation of the species. Without it, she suggests, we might not find life worth living.
At first glance, Sharot’s argument seems severe. Do we merely fall prey to delusioneach time we anticipate future success?
To some extent, the answer is yes. The optimism bias inaccurately alters our perception of reality. It causes us to see the world through rose-colored glasses when, in fact, life is not so rosy after all.
Yet this does not mean we should cast off hopefulness. As Sharot explains, optimism commonly becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we believe a positive outcome will occur, we are more likely to act in a way that will bring about that event. For example, studies show that patients who are optimistic about their chances of recovery after undergoing a major surgery have higher rates of survival than those who do not believe they will regain their health. This is because patients who expect to recover will take better care of their health than those who do not. They watch what they eat, make an effort to exercise regularly and follow doctors' orders.
Sharot therefore concludes that moderate optimism helps us achieve desired outcomes. At the same time, however, excessive optimism is likely to hurt us.
In conducting her research, Sharot found that extremely optimistic people were actually prone to seemingly irrational decision-making. Believing they will exceed the average life expectancy, extremely optimistic individuals, for example, frequently engage in high-risk behaviors, which ultimately prove detrimental to their health.
What can we learn from Sharot’s research? It would seem that optimism, like most things, is best in moderation.
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