![]() ![]() On Friday we’re looking forward to the weekend ahead on Sunday, the only thing to look forward to is the work week.ģ. That’s why people tend to prefer Friday to Sunday. Anticipation makes us happy: The thrill of the wait matters. Pessimists who get a good result in an exam will consider it a one-off.Ģ. That’s why optimists who get a poor result in an exam will blame the exam they’ll nail it next time. Interpretation matters: Whatever happens, whether you succeed or fail, people with high expectations always feel better. This, says Sharot, “is a good theory that’s wrong for three reasons”:ġ. ![]() So the real question here: is the widespread optimism bias good for us? Some say no, believing that low expectations mean we won’t be disappointed when things don’t work out - and yet pleasantly surprised if they do. In other words, “We’re not so optimistic about the guy sitting next to us.” Sharot’s statistics show that three-quarters of people are optimistic about the future of their own families yet only 30% said families are doing any better than they were a few generations ago. Similarly, many of us are uniquely biased toward the fabulousness of our own families. Yet when you ask newlyweds to rate their own likelihood of divorce, they more than likely put the figure at, yes, 0%. As she puts it: “we’re more optimistic than realistic, and we’re oblivious about it.” An example: Divorce rates in the western world weigh in at about 40%. “It” being the tendency to overestimate the likelihood of good things happening to us. Neuroscientist Tali Sharot comes on stage to discuss the “optimism bias.” It’s a topic that she’s been studying in her lab and she claims that 80% of us experience it. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |