Optimism and Realism - Can They Go Hand-in-Hand?

Neuroscientist Tali Sharot has written a new TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) book outlining why people are “more optimistic than realistic." She explores what this might mean for us in our day-to-day living and whether it’s due to how our brains are designed. Sharot claims that the roots of our optimism can be traced back five centuries to the French Renaissance writer and statesman, Michel Eyquem de Montaigne. Sharot talks about the intersection of memory and optimism in the brain and how people construct a positive future for themselves. She does not believe that people who have low expectations are pleasantly surprised and happier when things go well. Read the entire article here: The Science of Our Optimism Bias and the Life-Cycle of Happiness

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