Making Yourself Miserable to Succeed?

PeterAitch writes "Nature is reporting that expecting the worst - emotional cushioning - does not usually make you feel any better when you flunk or flop. The reported study indicates that you are just making yourself miserable. On the flip-side, people who are anxious are more likely to motivate themselves better to prepare for the forthcoming ordeal - defensive pessimists. Those with a generally sunny outlook on life expect to succeed and tend to deny responsibility when they perform badly."

Comments

Forget it.

[PCM2]

I'm not going to click on that link. The article's going to suck anyway.

Re:Forget it.

[aevan]

Nah, click it, just don't expect much from it. :)

I believe my liver is diseased...

[brian0918]

Dostoyevsky was right all along.

reminds me of a bartenders advice

[Pompatus]

An australian bartender I know always says, "cheer up, mate. It's just gonna get worse". Words of wisdom.

Pessimist club

[Linknoid]

When I was in college, there was an Optimist Club that met in our cafeteria once a month or so. I always talked about starting a pessimist club to make fun of their club, but I never got enough motivation to do it because I figured I'd never be able to get anyone to join.

Re:The Triumph of Optimism Over Experience

[value_added]

I'm not going to click on that link. The article's going to suck anyway.

I clicked it. And it sucked.

Somehow I think this is all your fault.

Re:Perhaps Joni Mitchell said it best...

[myowntrueself]

"Christ, what a load of crap."

Careful, you will start a holy war with talk like that... next it'll be a cartoon featuring a depiction of Jesus Christ making disparaging remarks about Joni Mitchell then there will be flag burning and embassies being assaulted...