Everywhere you go people tell you to be positive. That positive thinking will make it easier for you to achieve your goals, because if you really want something, then you will almost certainly achieve it. But here is an interesting scientific fact. Mere optimism can actually hold you back, and a pinch of pessimism can go a long way. Excuse me? Yes, being 100% optimistic is not the best idea. Check out why below.
Pessimism is in our society in bad repute. But does it really only deserve bad publicity? If you ask a German psychologist Gabriele Oettingen, who has been researching optimism since the 1980s, we must respect bleakness to a certain extent, because the true recipe for success also lies in a healthy dose of negative thinking, not just the 100% optimism that it is overrated.
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The scandalous idea was ignited by her 1991 study of women, who underwent a slimming treatment. Those who initially thought it would be difficult for them to stick to the program and get rid of extra pounds ended up losing more weight than the optimists. Ever since the surprising result, Oettingen has studied carefully what approach people take in pursuing their goals.
She found that to people fantasizing didn't help, it even got in their way several times. Why? Because when we dream, we start to ignore things that are urgent to do on the way to the destination. So instead of doing our best, getting motivated and actually going to the gym or studying for an exam, we're just imagining it. This does not mean that you should be pessimistic all the time. Instead, Oettingen suggests using the appointed process WOOP ("Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan" or desire, end result, obstacle and plan), which you can learn more about in the educational video.
