This Is Your Brain on Optimism

For example, those who hold fatalistic beliefs about cancer, have shown to be at greater risk of the disease because they not take preventative measures like eating vegetables or quitting smoking. On the opposite end, a body of research has linked optimism to better health. A landmark study of 999 elderly men and women found that optimism significantly lowered the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

The exact nature of the relationship between optimism and good health is still unclear. Martin Seligman, who studies optimism and positive thinking at the University of Pennsylvania says that it might be that, optimists, as opposed to pessimists, are more likely to take care of their health because they believe in the potential positive outcomes. Or, it could be that optimistic people are more likeable and build better social networks, which have been associated with longevity. Another possibility is that optimistic people may have had less trauma or difficulty in their lives (a high number of negative events in a lifetime correlates with bad health). "All of these are plausible," says Seligman.

So does this mean that self-help books that aim to boost your optimism, like "The Secret" or "The Power of Positive Thinking" will make you healthier? Not necessarily. But researchers like Seligman do believe that promoting positive thinking is a promising avenue of medical research. And whether or not you agree with his hopeful outlook may tell you something about your own brain.

© 2007