![]() ![]() Although the exact mechanism through which pessimism affects health hasn’t been identified, researchers at Yale and the University of Colorado found that pessimism is associated with a weakened immune response to tumors and infection. Seligman’s findings are similar to research conducted by the Mayo Clinic that found optimists have lower levels of cardiovascular disease and longer life-spans. The researchers found that pessimists’ health deteriorated far more rapidly as they aged. Seligman worked with researchers from Dartmouth and the University of Michigan on a study that followed people from age 25 to 65 to see how their levels of pessimism or optimism influenced their overall health. Martin Seligman at the University of Pennsylvania has conducted extensive research on the topic. Numerous studies have shown that optimists are physically and psychologically healthier than pessimists. Pessimism is trouble because it’s bad for your health. ![]() An emotional intelligence test can provide some powerful feedback to help you with this, as it won’t happen by accident. You must be intentional about staying positive if you’re going to overcome the brain’s tendency to focus on threats. Maintaining positivity is a daily challenge that requires focus and attention. When the threat is imagined and you spend two months convinced the project you’re working on is going to flop, this mechanism leaves you with a soured view of reality that wreaks havoc in your life. When the threat is real and lurking in the bushes down the path, this mechanism serves you well. These “threats” magnify the perceived likelihood that things are going-and/or are going to go-poorly. Today, this mechanism breeds pessimism and negativity through the mind’s tendency to wander until it finds a threat.
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