5 Uncommon Side Effects of Optimism
Steer clear of blinding optimism in favor of reasonable expectations
This quest to find disadvantages of optimism started when I came to know of a theory that said that optimists were usually a few minutes late. I had always struggled with this problem in my personal life and business commitments. I rarely met my deadlines. I had a habit of being late, as one of my former bosses said.
I worship optimism as if it is dogmatic truth. It is something that helps me see the sunny side of reality. I can always see the glass as half full. It makes me feel self-righteous. I feel all warm and fuzzy whenever I speak on the topic of optimism.
I could never imagine there could be a disadvantage of optimism. It counterintuitively implied that pessimism could have some advantages. To my optimistic creed, it was heresy.
As it turns out, there is a thing called Optimism Bias, first described by psychologists Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel Laureate, and Amos Tversky in the best-selling book — Thinking, Fast and Slow.
In simple words, optimists push possible adverse outcomes under the rug to create an illusion of control in their minds. Optimism as a theory looks appealing, but in real-life situations, it is disciplined hard work coupled with a pessimistic bias…
