Humans are naturally biased toward negativity hence why anxiety, depression, and mental health disorders increase. Which would you prefer to look forward to, a future where you will be happy and prosperous, or one where you’re unhappy, and nothing will get better? The inherent hope in the optimism bias creates a more positive outlook on life overall. Perhaps most simply, the optimism bias makes us feel happier. Conversely, a pessimistic view would discourage you from trying. That type of self-belief can both motivate you and build resilience. If you believe you can achieve your goals and they are within your reach, you are far more likely to take steps to get there. In this way, we can also view optimistic thinking as a motivational tool. In that view, the optimism bias is more than expecting good outcomes: it’s a way of manifesting them. On the bright side, grounded, rational optimism about the future can also be quite helpful.įor instance, many psychologists believe positive thinking can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Setting unrealistic expectations is different than believing there is hope, joy, and many great things in this life. For example, a person may fail to take sufficient protective measures for their physical health, finances, personal safety, and others if they don’t believe they will need those things. Similarly, underestimating the probabilities of adverse outcomes can lead to poor decisions in preparing for those outcomes. The Nobel Prize-winning author of Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman, calls this problem the planning fallacy. The illusion that things will always go smoothly can also cause you to significantly underestimate how long it will take you to get things done. When you set unrealistically high expectations, and reality doesn’t meet those expectations, you may find yourself feeling frustrated or depressed. Like all cognitive biases, the optimism bias does have some psychological downsides.įirst and foremost is the cost of unmet expectations. While it does have some undesirable effects, there are also some upsides. Psychological biases skew the way we interpret things, and this one is no different. However, it is okay if living conditions are not as ideal as we want life can still be okay. Unfortunately, this irrational tendency creates an intersection between hope and overconfidence. Optimism bias leads us to believe we are less likely to encounter hardship and more likely to find success relative to our peers. This same tendency can cause an optimistic person to minimize (or even negate) the likelihood of contracting a severe illness, being the victim of a crime, or sustaining an injury or loss. Optimism bias, also known as positivity bias, tends people to overestimate their probability of experiencing positive events and underestimate the likelihood of experiencing adverse events.įor instance, a person may believe they have an outsized chance to live longer, be wildly successful in their career, or win the lottery due to optimism bias. Bright Possibilities in a World of Uncertainty.
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