The Perils of Wishful Thinking

Anxiety over hardship or stress fuel false hope, leading to bad decisions in health, finances and relationships

While driving through the Sierra Nevada mountains last summer, my Jeep started making a strange whistling noise. I was concerned, but optimistic I’d make it home. Upon return, I researched the possible causes and eventually took the Jeep to a mechanic, hoping the problem was not serious. He couldn’t figure it out. My optimism and hope turned into the illogical next state of mind: wishful thinking, which has kept the Jeep limping along for months.

Oh, what a fool I’ve been.

It’s a common human foible, this wishful thinking. We are inordinately influenced by desire for good outcomes over bad, pleasant consequences over the uncomfortable. It perfectly explains why many of us avoid preventive maintenance on our vehicles, or on our bodies, and why we steer clear of important conversations with romantic partners, bosses or others who hold our happiness or careers in their hands.

Wishful thinking explains why people lose piles of money on cryptocurrency. It’s why people launch restaurants and other businesses with sky-high failure rates. It’s why we spend too much now on frivolities and fail to save enough for retirement. It’s why many of us will ignore a potentially severe disease that could be easily cured if addressed early.