A Mix of Both

The conventional wisdom: "optimism results in better health outcomes, physical and mental." However, the conventional wisdom may be wrong [bold added].

A study published last year in the journal Psychology and Aging found that older people with pessimistic views of the future were more likely to live longer and healthier lives than those with a rosier outlook....When looking at respondents older than 65, a total of about 1,300 people, the researchers found that the likelihood of surviving or remaining healthy increased by about 10% for those who were more pessimistic.

Researchers speculate that pessimists are better-prepared for calamities. Optimists with "a nonchalant attitude to dangers can leave the person poorly prepared to deal with a risky situation when it arises."

Your humble observer is not sure the "science" of optimism/pessimism can progress much beyond the point of saying that a mix of both leads to a healthier, happier life. For example, I invest in stocks (implying optimism about the future and belief in my stock-picking abilities), yet (pessimistically?) do not buy only one stock, or for that matter, put all my savings in the stock market.

For the record I am a defensive pessimist (WSJ graphic below).