Life sometimes brings its share of dramas, including illness or bereavement, but according to American researchers, we tend to remain optimistic during life.
- Optimism follows us throughout our lives, despite the deaths, divorces or sad situations we may encounter.
- According to researchers at the University of Michigan, we are more and more optimistic from 15 to 70 years old. On the other hand, once the retirement age is reached, our optimism decreases.
- This ability to always see the glass half full, regardless of age, shows the resilience of the human spirit.
“A state of mind that inclines to take things on the bright side” : this is how the Larousse defines optimism. This ability to see the positive even in difficult situations contributes to good psychological health. Scientists from the university of michigan (United States) wanted to understand the evolution of this feeling during life. In Journal of Research in Personalitythey explain that we tend to remain optimistic for a large part of life, then to be less and less so as we get older.
From 15 to 70: the most optimistic period of our lives
This study was made possible by a survey of 75,000 people in the United States, Germany and the Netherlands. The age of the participants was between 16 and 101 years old. The objective was to measure their level of optimism and their way of seeing the future. The researchers were particularly interested in events experienced: bereavement of a loved one, divorce, marriage or new job. According to the analysis of the answers, people are more and more optimistic from the age of 15 up to the age of 60 or even 70, whatever the circumstances.
“There is a large part of life during which we are positive about things and the future”, emphasizes William Chopik, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Michigan. According to him, this phenomenon is linked to the characteristic events of this period, it is generally the moment when one finds one’s first job, when one becomes a couple, etc “We’re becoming more and more self-sufficient, and we’re kind of in control of the future, so we expect things to go well!” On the other hand, the beginning of retirement is associated with a gradual decrease in optimism, even if this period is conducive to happy moments: travel, leisure, etc
Stay positive despite the challenges
“We found that optimism increases throughout early adulthood, then remains stable before declining in late adulthoodexplains William Chopik. Even people going through complicated times, who are going through difficult things in their lives, tend to look to the future, and feel optimistic.” According to the scientist, difficult events, such as a divorce, do not necessarily change a person’s perception of the future. “It proves that a significant number of people buy into the idea that ‘life is short’, and realize that they need to focus on the things that make them happy and maintain emotional balance.” According to the researchers, one of the big lessons of this survey is that humans are deeply resilient. “We often think that the sad or even tragic things that happen in our lives completely transform us as individuals, but this is not really the case”concludes William Chopik.
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