The Boston Globe reports today that many of us — possibly 80% — are optimists.
Optimism and pessimism alike each have benefits. Studies suggest that optimists may enjoy better health, but being overly optimistic can be a hindrance when it comes to launching or running a business.
The effect of optimism may also be influenced by one’s career:
The importance of positivity can vary by profession. University of Pennsylvania psychologist Martin Seligman, a leading researcher on optimism, has found that pessimistic law students are the most successful. Optimistic sales agents, on the other hand, significantly outsell pessimistic ones.
And optimism may even have political consequences:
According to Seligman’s analysis of presidential elections between 1948 and 1984, optimists usually win. Pessimists lost 9 of those 10 elections.
Test yourself to measure how optimistic you are at the Authentic Happiness web site (registration required first for access to tests). Or take this shorter test posted at the Boston Globe.
From Diane Cohen's BlogMuch has been written about power imbalances in mediation, and it is my belief that there is much confusion regarding the term. The term “power imbalance” seems...
By Diane CohenFrom Stephanie West Allen's blog on Neuroscience and conflict resolution . Homophily makes it much more likely that we will communicate and associate with others we know to be similar....
By Stephanie West AllenConflict Remedy Blog by Lorraine SegalA client of mine had a resentment relapse recently. I had worked with her over a period of months, to help her deal with a...
By Lorraine Segal