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The Neural Basis of Optimism and Pessimism
Our survival and wellness require a balance between optimism and pessimism. Undue pessimism makes life miserable; however, excessive optimism can lead to dangerously risky behaviors. A review and synthesis of the literature on the neurophysiology subserving these two worldviews suggests that optimis...
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Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
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The Korean Society for Brain and Neural Science
2013
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Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3807005/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24167413 http://dx.doi.org/10.5607/en.2013.22.3.173 |
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author | Hecht, David |
author_facet | Hecht, David |
author_sort | Hecht, David |
collection | PubMed |
description | Our survival and wellness require a balance between optimism and pessimism. Undue pessimism makes life miserable; however, excessive optimism can lead to dangerously risky behaviors. A review and synthesis of the literature on the neurophysiology subserving these two worldviews suggests that optimism and pessimism are differentially associated with the two cerebral hemispheres. High self-esteem, a cheerful attitude that tends to look at the positive aspects of a given situation, as well as an optimistic belief in a bright future are associated with physiological activity in the left-hemisphere (LH). In contrast, a gloomy viewpoint, an inclination to focus on the negative part and exaggerate its significance, low self-esteem as well as a pessimistic view on what the future holds are interlinked with neurophysiological processes in the right-hemisphere (RH). This hemispheric asymmetry in mediating optimistic and pessimistic outlooks is rooted in several biological and functional differences between the two hemispheres. The RH mediation of a watchful and inhibitive mode weaves a sense of insecurity that generates and supports pessimistic thought patterns. Conversely, the LH mediation of an active mode and the positive feedback it receives through its motor dexterity breed a sense of confidence in one's ability to manage life's challenges, and optimism about the future. |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-3807005 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2013 |
publisher | The Korean Society for Brain and Neural Science |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-38070052013-10-28 The Neural Basis of Optimism and Pessimism Hecht, David Exp Neurobiol Review Article Our survival and wellness require a balance between optimism and pessimism. Undue pessimism makes life miserable; however, excessive optimism can lead to dangerously risky behaviors. A review and synthesis of the literature on the neurophysiology subserving these two worldviews suggests that optimism and pessimism are differentially associated with the two cerebral hemispheres. High self-esteem, a cheerful attitude that tends to look at the positive aspects of a given situation, as well as an optimistic belief in a bright future are associated with physiological activity in the left-hemisphere (LH). In contrast, a gloomy viewpoint, an inclination to focus on the negative part and exaggerate its significance, low self-esteem as well as a pessimistic view on what the future holds are interlinked with neurophysiological processes in the right-hemisphere (RH). This hemispheric asymmetry in mediating optimistic and pessimistic outlooks is rooted in several biological and functional differences between the two hemispheres. The RH mediation of a watchful and inhibitive mode weaves a sense of insecurity that generates and supports pessimistic thought patterns. Conversely, the LH mediation of an active mode and the positive feedback it receives through its motor dexterity breed a sense of confidence in one's ability to manage life's challenges, and optimism about the future. The Korean Society for Brain and Neural Science 2013-09 2013-09-30 /pmc/articles/PMC3807005/ /pubmed/24167413 http://dx.doi.org/10.5607/en.2013.22.3.173 Text en Copyright © Experimental Neurobiology 2013. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
spellingShingle | Review Article Hecht, David The Neural Basis of Optimism and Pessimism |
title | The Neural Basis of Optimism and Pessimism |
title_full | The Neural Basis of Optimism and Pessimism |
title_fullStr | The Neural Basis of Optimism and Pessimism |
title_full_unstemmed | The Neural Basis of Optimism and Pessimism |
title_short | The Neural Basis of Optimism and Pessimism |
title_sort | neural basis of optimism and pessimism |
topic | Review Article |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3807005/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24167413 http://dx.doi.org/10.5607/en.2013.22.3.173 |
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