What If We Were All Optimists?

Surprise! You're more optimistic than you think.

This episode//
Written by Bahar Gholipour
Produced, Edited and Hosted by Vanessa Hill
Filming by Dominique Taylor
Animations by Jade Tan-Holmes

REFERENCES 📚

[braincraft]

Surprise! You're more optimistic than you may think 😄💫

[jessephillips]

This makes me think of evolutionary stable strategies. Basically, is there a disadvantage for us all being optimistic (like too much risk taking) so that in a given population there is a ratio of optimistic to pessimistic individuals?

[martijndekok]

I agree that optimism can be helpful and constructive, but I believe that expectation should be at least somewhat realistic. If not, you will be disappointed time and time again. Also, being too optimistic (unrealistic or even delusional) can keep you from making preparations for a negative outcome. You don't want to be the Grasshopper from the fable 'The Ant and the Grasshopper'.

[drewdavidson]

Optimism < Optimization
"The optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears it is true."
~J. Robert Oppenheimer

[enriquesouza]

I agree with the idea that optimism helps us and I think that you played well enough that optimism is not simply not caring about the problems to reach your goal, but how to face and adapt to the constant changes and day-to-day variations.
I do not know if you ever came across this, but YouTube does not compute my "like" and does not recognize that I watched your video entirely even doing it. I've been following BrainCraft for quite some time and I really enjoy the content you produce.
Greetings from Brazil.

[karlhenke]

I'm optimistic, and I just quit smoking. I knew the odds all along, but now I want to be around for what happens next.

[kgbstudio]

optimism is a character trait. optimism and luck are co-related. optimists make their own luck. sagittarian here :P we are optimists

[RoundPi]

I'm an optimist and I live for disappointments.

[kevind]

Seems to me that optimists are less prepared for when things don't go as expected (no Plan B), whereas the realists... uh, pessimists, are better prepared to deal with the inevitable unexpected negatives (aka life).

[Morris]

It’s a shame ur videos don’t receive more attention then they do. But my optimistic mind tells me this will change in the future! Keep up the good work Vanessa!

[jnzkngs]

If you feel the glass is half empty and you believe what's left is urine that means you are a pissamist. That's kinda where I am.

[axnyslie]

I always lived by a pessimist bias: "hope for the best but expect the worst" That way the outcome is always better than what you anticipated.

[macronencer]

I think an optimal strategy would be something like: optimism for short-term events and things outside your control; just a little more pessimism for things you *can* control; and more pessimism for things with long-term consequences (because we are biased towards ignoring them, e.g. climate).

[ruskreeder]

That's great. I'm glad Bill and Melinda Gates are supporting PBS Digital. I'm also happy he sent a personal comment to you. Congratulations.

[dektbitter]

I Spent most of my life assuming the worst in everything and everyone. After lots of changes and life shake-up my world view has flipped and I've converted to optimism. Having experienced both ends of the spectrum I can tell you that, personally, I am a way happier, healthier, and more effective person as an optimist than I ever could have dreamed of being as a pessimist. Since this is the internet you can go ahead and assume that my anecdotal experience = hard science. :-)

[MaraKatria]

What an outstanding video as with all of your productions! The different animations, cool storytelling styles, and of course researched subject matter throughout your repertoire are though provoking and encouraging -- much appreciated!

[ColinJonesPonder]

I consider myself a realist. I know bad crap can happen but I can't do anything about most of it so no point in worrying ;)

[michelgabe]

how about we try to be realists instead? I mean you can look at history and look at the present and then start to ponder about how the future might look like. the more Knowledge you have about the history of yourself and others the more acurate your prediction will be.

[thesecerttoepilepsy]

I live with a pessimistic father (I'm an optimist) and so he's taught me a lot about how seeing that sometimes you have to live with disappointments and you can't have everything perfect. Ex: if I'm left out don't take it too personally. Or if you're off your phone and someone else gets on their phone that's just society. So luckily I see the best in people and I'm always on the bright side and I'm okay when everything is not perfect (sometimes 😂)

[RobertF-]

So in between being either an optimist or a pessimist, is that being a realist?