Essay on Optimism and Personality Trait - 1027 Words

Optimism could be considered a condition of the mind that makes one believe that the best things will always happen to them. A common idiom used to illustrate optimism versus pessimism is a glass with water at the halfway point, where the optimist is said to see the glass as half full, but the pessimist sees the glass as half empty. Optimists tend to see adversity as temporary; more specifically they view the obstacle as limited to the situation and not generalized. 1) How does the personality trait develop in humans? Where does it appear to come from? (20 pts) According to Alan Carr, author of Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness and Human Strengths, â€Å"the development of optimism may be determined by parental mental health, the†¦show more content†¦Parents also reinforce optimism and perseverance by encouraging their children to deal with any type of obstacle in a positive way. Life is full of hurdles but it’s the way we deal with these difficulties that shape our expectations of things. 2) What purpose or function does the trait appear to serve? (20 pts) Optimism can be a powerful tool to motivate people to do things that we might have reservations about. Humans have the intellectual power to look ahead and anticipate any likely outcomes. In our everyday lives we take on numerous tasks a throughout our live whether it is studying for finals, starting a new project at work or starting a new diet. An article by Annie Paul in Psychology Today gave the example of how even an ordinary effort like going on a diet can benefit from dose of optimism. A review of dieting studies show that more than two-thirds of dieters gain back more weight than they initially thought. With such a grim outlook on dieting, optimism gives people the much needed motivation to believe that their goal is achievable (Paul 2011). If you stopped and took a minute to think about how much work you had to put in or how much of a risk you could be taking, you might never even make the attempt. Optimism has such a commanding force that it has the ability to convince you that things will work out just long enough to take the step forward and make an effort to accomplish that task. For example, a student in medical school will put a tremendous amountShow MoreRelatedPositive Thinking And Mental Health1290 Words   |  6 Pagesthese Positive thinking mechanisms are optimism, personality, self-esteem, self-evaluation, thought and thinking. These mechanisms are formed to create an individualistic way of thinking which causes an individual to embrace their own imperfections while still setting standards and goals for themselves. The benefits of positive thinking in some cases prolong death for individuals who are suffering from a particular illness such as cancer. In the article â€Å"Optimism, Social Support, and Mental Health OutcomesRead MoreCharacteristics Of Optimism And Pessimism738 Words   |  3 PagesOptimism and pessimism are personality traits relevant in the lives of every individual. Research of the two is an escalating field; there have been more analyses on the effects of it in the last seven years than in the previous twenty. Martin Seligman is known as the father of positive psychology and believes optimism is seen as reacting to problems with a sense of confidence and strong personal ability. Particularly, optimists think negative events are momentary and controllable. On the other handRead MoreThe Glass Half Empty Or Half Full? Optimism Essay946 Words   |  4 PagesIs the glass half-empty or half full? Optimism, the outlook towards the glass half full, gives the inclination towards the positive outlook of events and circumstances and defines the attitude of an individual. Whether the situation is pleasant or unpleasant, on optimist will take a hopeful, positive spin on it, expecting a decent outcome. Does possessing an optimistic trait affect the performance of a task in such a way to improve upon it and does it have something to do with confidence of anRead MorePersonal Philosophy Essay 873 Words   |à ‚  3 Pagestasks and challenges that were meant to change the way my personality tree has grown. School, friendship, losses, and gains have formed the clay I call my life and I am grateful for what my life has cooked up for me. These challenges have shown me what matters the most in life and what matters the least. More importantly they have shaped the way my personality is put into context today. Many people, famous or not, share the many personality traits and ideals I cherish and show every day. Many of themRead MoreThe Health Of Health Care983 Words   |  4 Pagesemphasis of healthy personality traits or behaviors. It also emphasizes that people are able to demonstrate positive personality traits in society that can overlap or even replace negative labels. These demonstrations happen through social institutions. And social institutions are what give order to society, as well as structure, and demonstrate a system of behaviors from each individual within that institution (Social Institutions). Some of these behaviors or personality traits may include responsibilityRead MorePsychometric Evaluation Of A New Measure Of Dispositional Optimism936 Words   |  4 PagesPsychometric Evaluation of a New Measure of Dispositional Optimism Dispositional optimism (DO) is a psychological construct defined as the tendency to have positive expectations about the future [CITE]. DO is considered a relatively stable trait, and is based upon the expectancy-value theory of motivation [CITE fishbein]. The theory suggests that an individual’s confidence in their ability to succeed (expectancy) and the predicted benefits of completing a task (value) determine the strength of theirRead MoreHealthcare Cost Essay1074 Words   |  5 Pagescoping skills associated with high stress tolerance. The independent variables in this study are personality measures: optimism, pessimism or both and coping skills. The dependent variables will be the number of: medical visits, medications taken, upper respiratory infections and missed work days by an individual, as disclosed by the individual. Source Articles Source 1 Baker, S. (2007). Dispositional optimism and health status, symptoms and behaviours: assessing idiothetic relationships using a prospectiveRead More Stress Affects Everybody Differently Essay1128 Words   |  5 Pagesidea behind this mediating process of coping is repeated later in this paper when coping ability is considered a personality trait by a study by the University of Utah. Moderating factors, as well as mediating processes, influence the strength of individuals stress responses induced by stressors. The main moderating factor is the personality traits of the individuals. Hardiness is a trait associated with stress resistance, which consists of control (belief in people that they can influence theirRead MoreUse of Self: Impact of Past Experiences on Future Practice1162 Words   |  5 Pagesndividual Personality Attributes My main personality traits drawn from impacts of previous experiences include introversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness, optimism and anxiety. Introversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness and openness to experiences are apart of the Big Five Personality Factors established by Goldberg (1990). Introversion describes an individual who is reserved, quiet and timid which I believe I am in a large amount of circumstances characterised by my tendencyRead MoreAre Leaders Made or Are Leaders Born?772 Words   |  4 Pagescharacteristics are innate and are part of one’s personality and therefore, one cannot learn to develop such character traits. The first trait is optimism or having an optimistic outlook, always focusing on the possibilities. With this disposition, one believes that challenges can be overcome and they can forge ahead. The second trait is what he calls ego or self-assurance. Another term that comes to mind is self-efficacy. A person with this trait has a strong belief in himself. Self-assurance