» posted on 9:32am - May 26 2009 | posted by xcom

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Despite calamities from economic recessions, wars and famine to a flu epidemic afflicting the Earth, a new study from the University of Kansas and Gallup indicates that humans are by nature optimistic.

At the country level, optimism is highest in Ireland, Brazil, Denmark, and New Zealand and lowest in Zimbabwe, Egypt, Haiti and Bulgaria. The United States ranks number 10 on the list of optimistic countries.
The study, to be presented Sunday, May 24, 2009, at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science in San Francisco, found optimism to be universal and borderless.

Data from the Gallup World Poll drove the findings, with adults in more than 140 countries providing a representative sample of 95 percent of the world's population. The sample included more than 150,000 adults.

Eighty-nine percent of individuals worldwide expect the next five years to be as good or better than their current life, and 95 percent of individuals expected their life in five years to be as good or better than their life was five years ago.

"These results provide compelling evidence that optimism is a universal phenomenon," said Matthew Gallagher, a psychology doctoral candidate at the University of Kansas and lead researcher of the study.

At the country level, optimism is highest in Ireland, Brazil, Denmark, and New Zealand and lowest in Zimbabwe, Egypt, Haiti and Bulgaria. The United States ranks number 10 on the list of optimistic countries.

Demographic factors (age and household income) appear to have only modest effects on individual levels of optimism.

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posted by: xcom · date: 2:26am - June 07 2009

I agree mostly since anything can be used to find joy in with humans also. Religion and optimism make sense more along the lines of having a direct sense of belonging and most people who generally follow society to fill their void lack this.

_X/

newbie (5119 AP) » total items: 174 / total posts: 544 » 0.000 / 0.143

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posted by: Lev · date: 10:59am - May 26 2009

I actually don't doubt this.

Another thing I was thinking of just a couple of days ago (which is kind of related) is that I think there would be a staggering correlation between religious thinking folks, and optimism. I base this on my own observations, but I really have a strong feeling that there is a strong relation between these two.

In the end, I think it's society that bends and breaks many of us into being pessimists.

I would support the idea of optimism by nature because it makes sense from a biological standpoint. No thriving and flourishing species will continue to go on with a pessimistic lifestyle; well, I have my doubts about this at least.

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