People who have a positive outlook on the world may live longer because they have less stress to deal with.
The scientists found that pessimists and optimists were 888-609- 888-609- 888-609- 888-609- 888-609-
The researchers believe that optimists either avoid arguments, lost keys, traffic jams, or simply fail to perceive them as stressed out in the first place.
Researchers don't fully understand why having a glass-half-full attitude might contribute to healthy aging, despite previous studies showing that optimists live longer and healthier lives.
It seemed like a logical next step to study whether optimism might protect against the effects of stress among older adults, given prior work linking optimism to longevity, healthy aging, and lower risks of major diseases.
The information provided by 233 men who were at least 21 years old when they joined the US Veterans Affairs Normative Ageing Study was analysed by Lee and her colleagues. The men were assessed on their levels of optimism.
Between 2002 and 2010 they completed up to three eight-day-long diary entries that recorded their moods and stress levels.
The researchers believed that the optimists would bounce back quicker than the pessimists after a stress event. The data did not show this.
Lee said that more optimistic men reported having fewer daily stressors which partially explained their lower levels of negative mood.
It was suggested to us that more optimistic men were less likely to see situations as being stressed out.
Lee said she expected the findings to hold for older women as well.
Lee believes there are ways to foster a more positive outlook for those who want to.
She said that one way to become more optimistic is to develop an awareness of how we react to a situation.
Sometimes our automatic reaction involves a negative evaluation or a worst-case scenario. It will be helpful to catch ourselves doing that, and then come up with a different approach to the situation.
A misconception about optimism is that it doesn't mean being Pollyanna-ish or ignoring risks. It may involve acknowledging our strengths, past examples of success, and areas over which we have control, so that we can arrive at a more positive and confident outlook.
Prof Andrew Steptoe, head of behavioural science and health at the University College London, was not involved in the study.
They may be easier to get along with than pessimists. They may be less likely to see daily incidents as stresses.
He said that if you have an optimistic disposition, it seems quite plausible that you won't regard relatively trivial occurrences in your life as stressed.
It's difficult to say what the findings mean for wellbeing.
There is evidence that greater optimism and less pessimism reduces the risk of future ill-health.
It could be related to lifestyle - greater physical activity, better diet, less smoking - though optimism also has biological correlations, such as lower systemic inflammation, that may be health protective.
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