In short, the left side of our brain is an optimist and the right side is a pessimist.Īnother element of optimism and pessimism that is also split between brain hemispheres is our sense of control. The right eye will focus on a positive image more than the left when two different images are presented to the visual fields. A warning presented to just the left ear (right brain) is more likely to present a behavior change than to the right ear. Remember that the right ear and eye go to the left side of the brain and vice versa. This has been tested by studies that present images to single visual fields or ears. The left hemisphere has a preference to positive information. However, that does not mean both sides of the brain are the same. Functional MRI tests have shown that both sides of the brains are always working in conjunction with one another. People are not solely right-brained: creative, intuitive, daydreaming artists. People are not solely left-brained: logical, linear thinkers devoted to facts. The theory that people are either left- or right-brained has been debunked.
This attentiveness to cues and our interpretation of them depends on whether or not we are left- or right-brained oriented.
The ability for an optimist and a pessimist to look at the same situation and come away with different conclusions is in part on how they process information and which bits of information they unconsciously select to focus on. Overly optimistic people can be reckless - “what could possibly go wrong?” - whereas overly pessimistic people can depressing or even paralyzing because of “everything that could possibly go wrong.” It is only people who seem “off-balance’ in which we can recognize someone as an optimist or a pessimist.
If we think about it, many of us will find that we are relatively balanced when taking all possible events into consideration - a bunch of things will get better and a bunch will get worse. We might be optimistic about what we achieve next year and pessimistic about what Jared Kushner will accomplish. We know that optimism and pessimism aren’t all or none, but are dependent on the situation and the setting. Where exactly does optimism come from? It’s more than the lack of pessimism. This next year will be even better than this year. Typically one approaches the New Year with optimism.
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