[engoo daily-news] Realists Happier in Long Term Than Optimists

영국 최근 연구에 따르면 행복의 장기적 관점에서 긍정적 사고를 지닌 낙관론자보다 정확한 정보를 근거에 기댄 현실주의자가 더욱 큰 행복을 느낀다고 발표했습니다. 

연구원들은 천 6백 명의 영국인들을 대상으로 18년 동안의 삶에 대한 기대와 만족감, 정신 건강 등을 분석했습니다.

기존 연구의 결과에서는 80%의 사람들이 비현실적 낙관론자로 삶에 대한 긍정적 사건의 가능성은 과대평가하며, 부정적 사건의 가능성은 과소평가했습니다. 그런데 최근 연구는 이러한 인생에 대한 기대 등으로 인해 장기적으로는 높은 실망감을 느끼며 행복 지수 또한 낮았음을 확인시켜줬습니다.

실제로, 연구 결과에 따르면 비관론자들은 장기적 관점에서 행복 지수가 22% 감소하였으며 낙천론자들은 14%의 감소를 보여줬습니다.

즉, 연구 결과가 제시하고 있는 것은 합리적이고 현실적인 신념을 근거로  계획을 세우거나 의사 결정을 한다면 실망감과 행복감 저하라는 나쁜 결과를 벗어날 수 있다는 것입니다. 

연구진은 긍정적 사고를 위하여 노력하지 않아도, 미래에 대한 혹은 의사 결정에 대한 현실적 증거가 있다면 오랫동안 행복할 수 있다고 덧붙였습니다.

 

Photo by Stan B on Unsplash

 

[기사]

Realists Happier in Long Term Than Optimists

While everyone from self-help writers to the Mayo Clinic has promoted the idea that positive thinking is the key to happiness, a new study suggests that it is realists, not optimists, who experience a greater sense of long-term well-being.
Researchers from the University of Bath and the London School of Economics and Political Science used national survey data to examine 1,600 British people's financial expectations in life, and compared them to actual outcomes over 18 years. They also looked at participants' self-reported levels of satisfaction with their lives and their mental health.
Past studies have estimated that about 80% of people are "unrealistic optimists," overestimating the likelihood of positive events and underestimating the possibility of negative ones. Those expectations set them up for high levels of disappointment and, according to the new study, poorer long-term well-being.
In fact, the study found that while the most pessimistic people had about a 22% reduction in long-term well-being, the most optimistic people also had an almost 14% reduction.
The findings point to the benefits of making decisions based on accurate information, which challenges the "power of positive thinking," or the idea that believing in success will make it happen and bring happiness.
However, the researchers say this doesn't mean that negative thinking should replace positive thinking. Pessimists also did poorly when it came to long-term happiness, suggesting that having low expectations also does not protect people from feeling disappointment.
Dr. Chris Dawson from the University of Bath explained that plans based on inaccurate beliefs are almost certain to lead to worse outcomes than those made based on rational, realistic beliefs. He added that this is especially true for decisions about employment, savings or any choice involving risk.
He added that the research shows that you don't have to spend your time trying to make yourself think more positively — which might be a relief for some people. Instead, the results show that it's being realistic about your future and making good decisions based on evidence that can lead to a long-term sense of well-being.

source: https://engoo.co.kr/app/daily-news/article/study-realists-happier-in-long-term-than-optimists/FSQyosxDEeqP_ne-ovK8gg

 

[요약]

A study recently released in the U.K. has suggested that it's a realist that has greater happiness in the long term rather than an optimist. Researchers analyzed data involving 1,600 British people to see how they had expectations in life and were satisfied with their lives as well as their mental health. The previous study showed that it's more likely for optimists to tend to overestimate the chance of positive events while having a tendency to underestimate the likelihood of the negative ones. The new research has confirmed that those high levels of expectations in life left people disappointed or unhappy for the long term. What the findings place emphasis on is the benefits of decision making hinged on rational, realistic information that would protect people from feeling disappointed. The researchers added that it might as well being realistic about the future and making decisions relied on implications that could bring long-term well-being.