Should we be optimistic?

Contributor(s): Dr Tali Sharot, Dr Joan Costa-Font, Professor David de Meza, Dr Chris Kutarna |  

Despite our growing collective pessimism about the state of the world, when it comes to our own lives, research suggests we are generally optimistic.

After a year that will remain synonymous with anxiety, isolation, endless devastating news reports, and for too many – loss, this episode of LSE IQ asks: is optimism is good for us? And, beyond the effects on our wellbeing, is optimism an accurate lens through which to view the world?

Addressing these issues are: Dr Tali Sharot, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at UCL; Dr Joan Costa-Font, Associate Professor in Health Economics at LSE; Dr David de Meza, Professor of Management at LSE; and Dr Chris Kutarna, author of Age of Discovery: Navigating the Risks and Rewards of our New Renaissance.

Contributors

Dr Tali Sharot

Dr Joan Costa-Font

Professor David de Meza

Dr Chris Kutarna

Research

The Optimism Bias: Why we're wired to look on the bright side by Tali Sharot.

Neither an Optimist Nor a Pessimist Be: Mistaken Expectations Lower Well-Being by David de Meza and Chris Dawson in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

Why optimism and entrepreneurship are not always a good mix for business by David de Meza and Chris Dawson in The Conversation.

Optimism and the perceptions of new risks by Elias Mossialos, Caroline Rudisdill and Joan Costa-Font

in the Journal of Risk Research.

Explaining optimistic old age disability and longevity expectations by Joan Costa-Font and Montserrat Costa-Font in Social Indicators Research.

Does optimism help us during a pandemic? by Joan Costa-Font.

Age of Discovery: Navigating the Risks and Rewards of Our New Renaissance by Chris Kutarna and Ian Goldin.