The above video interview with a 108 year old holocaust survivor is amazing and inspiring. At 108, she still practices the piano three hours a day. For me, the video brings up questions about longevity and survival including the roles that optimism and creativity play. What is optimism, really, and what are the factors that go into making it exist as a workable mental/emotional strategy for survival? If you watch the whole video (12:12) you may see, as I did, that Alice was "realistic" about the suffering she saw but somehow chose to see the positive as a way through in order to survive. This may have been a giant defense mechanism at work, yet, this attitude can be very helpful in seeing things in a more open way while optimizing the ability to survive.
Inside of me there are two dogs. One is mean and evil and the other is good and they fight each other all the time. When asked which one wins I answer, the one I feed the most.�
Wow, great story. I have a long way to go to determine if optimism leads to a long life, but I can say that so far it's led me to a happy life. Whenever I get into a bad situation, I ask my self: How could this be worse? After thinking of ways it could be worse, suddenly the current situation doesn't seem so bad, so I make the most of it.
I think this approach also works with people. Everyone is good at something, and everyone has good qualities. When you focus on the good in people and situations, I think life is much more enjoyable.
Pretty cool! Why can't our media be focused on stuff like this?
Wow, very cool! Thanks, Gosso. That's a mind blowing and entertaining 2 minutes. Also, really enjoyed the video interview with him. Now I want to watch more of Jason Silva's vimeos... Just saw the Allosphere video- http://vimeo.com/8206260 very cool quote at the end about the importance of art in living longer and more prosperously.
Last edited by lazyboy on Sat Apr 14, 2012 1:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
Inside of me there are two dogs. One is mean and evil and the other is good and they fight each other all the time. When asked which one wins I answer, the one I feed the most.�
hoost wrote:
Wow, great story. I have a long way to go to determine if optimism leads to a long life, but I can say that so far it's led me to a happy life. Whenever I get into a bad situation, I ask my self: How could this be worse? After thinking of ways it could be worse, suddenly the current situation doesn't seem so bad, so I make the most of it.
I think this approach also works with people. Everyone is good at something, and everyone has good qualities. When you focus on the good in people and situations, I think life is much more enjoyable.
Thanks, hoost, I agree. I think it's much easier to overcome the programed negativity bias in the brain and have optimism nurtured when someone is very young. Although, I'm discovering it's never to late to enjoy my childhood.
Inside of me there are two dogs. One is mean and evil and the other is good and they fight each other all the time. When asked which one wins I answer, the one I feed the most.�
Pretty cool! Why can't our media be focused on stuff like this?
Wow, very cool! Thanks, Gosso. That's a mind blowing and entertaining 2 minutes. Also, really enjoyed the video interview with him. Now I want to watch more of Jason Silva's vimeos... Just saw the Allosphere video- http://vimeo.com/8206260 very cool quote at the end about the importance of art in living longer and more prosperously.
Neat! He can be a bit over the top, but at least he is entertaining and preaches an optimistic view of the world.
"The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails."
I think I've always tended towards the latter approach to life. When asked if the glass is half full or empty my reply is why you are asking such a stupid question? Isn't it obvious that both are true?
As to whether my approach will lead to longevity or not, I guess only time will tell.
jackh wrote:
"The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails."
I think I've always tended towards the latter approach to life. When asked if the glass is half full or empty my reply is why you are asking such a stupid question? Isn't it obvious that both are true?
As to whether my approach will lead to longevity or not, I guess only time will tell.
I agree, jackh, in the primacy of reality over optimism as a belief. The way I look at it is that when I'm confident of my perceptions, I believe that I'm able to act positively to get the best result. That confidence to engage is the experience of optimism as an openness to life. That also means that when an unknown or scary situation develops, although things may not work out to my liking, I have the confidence that I can somehow deal with the situation. Optimism can also mean having faith in unknown forces that work for good in the universe and that I can somehow be in alignment with those forces. There will always be uncertainty in life; maybe optimism allows one to face that uncertainty in a more relaxed and confident way.
Last edited by lazyboy on Mon Apr 16, 2012 1:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
Inside of me there are two dogs. One is mean and evil and the other is good and they fight each other all the time. When asked which one wins I answer, the one I feed the most.�
Happy, optimistic people have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke, a Harvard School of Public Health review of more than 200 studies - reported in Psychological Bulletin - suggests.
While such people may be generally healthier, scientists think a sense of well-being may lower risk factors such as high blood pressure and cholesterol.
Stress and depression have already been linked to heart disease.
The researcher from the Harvard School of Public Health trawled medical trial databases to find studies that had recorded psychological well-being and cardiovascular health.
This revealed that factors such as optimism, life satisfaction, and happiness appeared to be linked associated with a reduced risk of heart and circulatory diseases, regardless of a person's age, socio-economic status, smoking status or body weight.
Disease risk was 50% lower among the most optimistic individuals.
