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Optimalism
The term optimal is defined by Merriam Webster Online as most desirable or satisfactory. Optimalism is a termed used in the positive psychology field that represents an optimal or ideal attitude of circumstances and conditions, regarded as having a positive outlook for the potential of a situation. In a sense, looking at the glass half-full. There is more and more research about the power of optimistic thoughts and all the benefits of optimistic people. There is new evidence that suggests there is a connection between positive thoughts and that it will produce productive actions. Still in need of further study, this fairly new branch of psychology has become an increased interest.

Table of Contents
History and How it Began

Pioneers in the Field

Theories

Optimalism falls into the category of positive psychology. The first pioneers of this branch of "feel-good" psychology comes from Vincent Peale who published "The Power of Positive Thinking" in 1952 as well as Napolean Hill who published "Think and Grow" back in 1937 From then on, this new field recieved plenty of attention. Modern day psychologists, however, have debated whether there is truth to the claims that Peale and Hill made. A real movement toward optimistic ideals began in the 1990s. Many positive thinkers made a business out of their beliefs,captilizing on the good economy, high employment rates, good housing market and more. From this, stemmed the optimistic theory into many religions and dawned a new era of "posperity gospels" first by Reverend Fredrick Eikerenkoetter and Robert H. Schuller

The notion to "think happy thoughts" and the idea that a positive outlook will yield a positive result had skeptics searching for the proof. Martin. E.P. Seligman is creditted by many to have developed the positive-psychology movement which included scientific study and evidence to support the claims about what positive thinking can do.

The way a person reacts to certain situations in life can immediately categorize them as optimists or pessimists. An optimist reacts to a setback in life with a belief in their own personal ability to bounce back from an event. Pessimists, however, react to a setback with a belief that they are now helpless. Optimists accept the bad event, but yet consider it to be a temporary problem that they can resolve with effort. A pessimist tends to blame life’s unfortunes on themselves, letting it bring them down for a long time and they cannot see how to get over it. Studies indicate that the helplessness attitude that pessimists have is a learned behavior. Dr. Seligman shows that depression and pessimism are related. Often altering how one thinks can change how one feels and can ultimately help improve the quality of life for those that suffer with depression. At times, optimists can be over-zealous risk takers and not outweigh the side effects of their precarious behavior. Seligman acknowledges the usefulness of a pessimistic attitude at times.

Early in childhood, children tend to be more optimistic. However, after puberty much of that is lost. Perhaps there is a connection between the attitudes of their children and their parents. As stated before, helplessness can be a learned trait. Many children question their parents for explanations when things go wrong or unexpected. The response given indicates what type of individual the parent is. A personal, pervasive and permanent reason for bad events can indicate a pessimistic view. In contrast, if the parent identifies very specific, temporary and external causes for a bad situation, this is characteristic of an optimist. A child picks up on either behavior and learns it

Failure reaches everyone, optimists and pessimists alike. However, optimists do not immediately quit and give up upon failure. They do experience feelings of doubt and grief, but are able to quickly get over these feelings when dealing with a bad situation and pick themselves up from it and move on. Optimists can accept the circumstances of their failure learn from it and try again. Going back to pessimist blaming themselves for mistakes; a failure is a reflection on them and pessimists cannot see passed it. Pessimists do not see the window of opportunities, but certainly do not go looking for one after they experience a failure. In a sense, it blinds them because they simply focus on the fact that they failed and make little attempts to recover from the failing incident. Life has tragedy and turmoil. Experiencing these things is never easy, especially for a child who is dealing with it for the first time. How a child copes with a trauma can define their explanatory style. Explanatory styles are how a person describes or explains events in life-leading to either pessimistic or optimistic explanations. For many, optimists are viewed externally as overly-happy people who have bright smiles on their face in any situation. Coveted by some, and annoying for others; a true optimist according to Larry Dossey who survived two incidents of being thrown off his horse that left him with a broken spine, is this: “Optimists are actually realists who take steps to solve problems” In conjunction with Seligman, optimistic points of view do require some flexibility. A pessimistic approach most likely played key role in human’s early survival in history. Furthermore, it is fathomable that is necessarily for humans to take control over their explanatory style. As Dossey continues to explain, optimists work towards getting something accomplished. In addition there is evidence based on Harvard students who actually have a physically healthier life. Optimists do not experience less stress than pessimists, but they have less of a hormonal change in response to stressful situations The affect of a positive attitude on the immune system continues to be researched. Beyond a positive hope for the future, is the immune suppression can be caused by fatigue. For example when Dossey was bucked off his horse in the wilderness and had to make his way to find help in excruciating pain. Although painful and challenging, Dossey’s night in the woods was temporary and obviously led to a payoff-medical attention. This is how Suzanne Segerstrom, a psychologist at the University of Kentucky, believes optimism really works; a plan of action that may put extreme stress on the body, but in the long run is ultimately the most beneficial.

External Sources
http://www.ppc.sas.upenn.edu/