Optimism: Its Benefits and Deficits on Individuals' Behaviors

Abstract

This chapter attempts to review and scrutinize the optimism concept and share these issues and evaluations with the readers. Although this chapter focuses on optimism mainly, it sometimes also refers to pessimism. Although the optimism phenomenon has a positive connotation, this construct has the potential to take different forms. Therefore, the changing characteristics of optimism according to time, situations, conditions and culture is emphasized. The benefits and deficits of optimism are discussed in terms of dispositional optimism, comparative optimism, unrealistic optimism, defensive pessimism and unrealistic pessimism by reviewing the studies about psychological wellbeing, physical well-being, academic life and life difficulties. Especially, the importance and vitality of carrying out studies sensitive to cultural differences is emphasized. A room in the oncology department of a hospital ... Two adult male patients, with the same diagnosis share the room ... One of them, Daniel, is very anxious about the prognosis of his illness and frequently asks the doctors and the nurses about his condition and checks his test results even though he does not understand much about them. He spends sleepless nights worrying about how his wife and children will cope with their lives without him. Meanwhile the other patient, Tom, is not interested in the prognosis of his illness, though he had spent a considerable amount of time at the hospital. He often talks about himself as being a strong man and believes that any trouble sent by the Lord will be dealt with by Him.