Do eternally optimistic people just have malfunctioning frontal lobes?

[pokerfan]

Apparently...

From an evolutionary perspective, excessive optimism is generally a bad idea. After all, if you're constantly assuming good things will happen, you'll probably be ill-prepared when bad things inevitably come along. Now scientists have an explanation...which isn't exactly flattering to the eternally optimistic.

http://io9.com/5848119/do-eternally-optimistic-people-just-have-malfunctioning-frontal-lobes

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. I tend to be a pessimist because I'd rather be ocassionally pleasantly surprised

than regularly disappointed.

[RC]

5. Me too. I usually get jumped on for say stuff like that.

Besides, I rather be correct most of the time.

[Avalux]

2. Hmmm.....interesting.

I'd rather be an overly optimistic person and be happy most of the time, than spend my time wondering what horrible thing is going to happen to me next. Why worry about what might happen? Tomorrow might not even come.

I think if my 89 year old grandmother read this she'd get a good laugh. She credits not taking life too seriously as the reason she's still around, and healthy. ;-)

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. Tomorrow might not even come.

You're more pessimistic than you think.

[wtmusic]

3. Or do depressed pessimists need to make up shit to appease their Shadenfreude?

Film at eleven.

[Rabblevox]

4. Why not be optimistic? Eventually we all go out in a box or an urn, so why worry? /nt

[silverweb]

6. My dad had the balance right:

"Prepare for the worst and hope for the best."

Continuing to have hope that things just might turn out okay in the end, despite indications to the contrary, is not excessively optimistic -- as long as one has also made preparations for a negative outcome.

It's just wise, like having disaster preparations/supplies at the ready even when all forecasts are clear.

[Odin2005]

8. I call the "eternally optimistic" people "Dr. Panglosses" and they are a threat to society.

They refuse to notice or deal with problems that need attention because they don't want their beautiful minds disturbed.