DOES IT PAY OFF TO BE ILL TEMPERED AND CRANKY?
CONVENTIONAL WISDOM SAYS THAT IF YOU ARE OPTIMISTIC AND IN A
GOOD MOOD, YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE SUCCESSFUL, MORE
LIKELY TO ATTRACT SO-CALLED GOOD KARMA.
BUT THE REALITY IS THAT STUDY AFTER STUDY INDICATES THAT
IF YOU ARE A GRUMPY CAT, YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO GET WHAT YOU
WANT.
THIS IS A GREAT PIECE THAT WAS WRITTEN FOR THE BBC, AND
THE ARGUMENT HERE IS, IF YOU ARE A PESSIMIST RATHER THAN AN
OPTIMIST, YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY HAVE THE CARDS STACKED IN
YOUR FAVOR.
HERE'S WHAT WAS WRITTEN, "CRANKS MAY BE SUPERIOR
NEGOTIATORS, MORE DISCERNING DECISION-MAKERS AND CUT THE
RISK OF HAVING A HEART ATTACK.
CYNICS CAN EXPECT MORE STABLE MARRIAGES, HIGHER EARNINGS
AND LONGER LIVES."
RIGHT THERE YOU SEE A SUMMARY OF ALL THE VARIOUS STUDIES THAT
LOOKED INTO THESE ISSUES, AND THEY FIND THAT MEAN ñ THAT MAYBE
BEING A LITTLE TEMPERAMENTAL WILL WORK IN OUR FAVOR.
BEFORE YOU GET INTO THE DETAILS OF IT, YOU MAY HAVE A
STABLE MARRIAGE, HIGHER EARNINGS AND LONGER LIVES, BUT YOU
ARE STILL MISERABLE, SO IT'S A BIT OF A MIXED BLESSING.
YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK IT IS MORE THAN ANYTHING?
I THINK PESSIMISTS ARE MORE PREPARED FOR, YOU KNOW,
WHAT OPTIMISTS NEVER EXPECT, WHICH IS ALL THE DIFFERENT
THINGS THAT COULD GO WRONG.
ALSO, PESSIMISTS OR PEOPLE WHO ARE CRANKY, WHATEVER,
USUALLY HAVE HIGHER STANDARDS.
NOT ONLY FOR OTHER PEOPLE, BUT MORE IMPORTANT FOR THEMSELVES.
I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I AM A GIGANTIC PESSIMIST.
I WAS WONDERING WHAT YOU WERE GOING TO SAY THAT.
SO THIS IS A CONSTANT STRUGGLE BETWEEN ME AND MY FIANC…,
BECAUSE HE IS SUPER HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, SUPER
OPTIMISTIC AND HE CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY I'M NEVER
SATISFIED OR WHY I ALWAYS LOOK AT THE GLASS AS HALF EMPTY.
WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO THE FINDINGS BUT UNDERSTAND OUR
PERSPECTIVE.
I'M AN OPTIMIST, BUT I'M NOT AN OPTIMIST WHO'S JUST LIKE, I
THINK EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OKAY AND WONDERFUL!
I'M A RELIGIOUS ñ I'M A REALISTIC OPTIMIST.
OF COURSE WE'RE GOING TO RUN INTO ROADBLOCKS, BUT THOSE
ROAD BLOCKS ARE COMING FOR US WE ARE COMING FOR THEM.
IN THE SAME PIECE IT IS WRITTEN THAT GOOD MOODS COME WITH
SUBSTANTIAL RISK.
"POSITIVITY IS ALSO KNOWN TO ENCOURAGE BINGE DRINKING,
OVEREATING AND UNSAFE SEX."
LET ME PAUSE TO SAY, I GET WHY THAT MAKES SENSE.
BECAUSE THE OPTIMIST IS LIKE, I'LL LOSE WEIGHT LATER!
MAYBE, MAYBE NOT.
BY THE WAY, I'M AN OPTIMIST AND I THINK IT SHOWS.
AND SO IF YOU ARE SATISFIED AND YOU ARE HAPPY ñ
YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE COMPLACENT.
THAT'S RIGHT, AND YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO DO ñ YOU ARE LESS
LIKELY TO MINIMIZE THE ACTUAL DANGER YOU WILL BE IN.
I WANT TO BE HAPPY ENOUGH BECAUSE WHAT ELSE ARE WE
LIVING FOR?
ON THE OTHER HAND, IF YOU ARE JUST SITTING THERE LIKE --
[GOOFY NOISES] -- ON YOUR COUCH, THEN YEAH YOU ARE NEVER
GOING TO HAVE TO DRIVE YOU NEED TO SUCCEED.
I WANT TO BE CLEAR, THERE ARE EXTREMES ON BOTH ENDS.
THERE ARE THE GOOFY OPTIMISTS IS THAT YOU JUST MOCKED RIGHT
NOW, AND THEN THERE ARE THE EXTREME PESSIMISTS THAT ARE
NEVER HAPPY, NEVER SATISFIED.
I WOULD ARGUE THAT EVEN THOUGH I IDENTIFY AS A POT ñ EVEN
THOUGH I IDENTIFY AS A PESSIMIST AND YOU IDENTIFY AS A POSITIVE ñ
AS AN OPTIMIST, WE ARE SOMEWHERE ON A HEALTHY MIDDLE GROUND.
I'M NOT NEVER HAPPY BUT I DO TEND TO LOOK AT THE
POTENTIAL DOWNSIDES TO THINGS BEFORE I LOOK AT THE UPSIDE.
1ST OF ALL, THERE IS AN EVOLUTIONARY ADVANTAGE IN
BEING PESSIMISTIC OR HAVING AN ILL TEMPERED.
"ANGER, SADNESS AND PESSIMISM HARD DIVINE CRUELTY OR
SHEER RANDOM BAD LUCK ñ
THEY EVOLVED TO SERVE USEFUL FUNCTIONS AND HELP US THRIVE."
" ANGER REALLY PREPARES THE BODY TO MOBILIZE RESOURCES ñ
IT TELLS YOU THAT THE SITUATION YOU'RE IN IS BAD AND GIVES
YOU AN ENERGETIC BOOST TO GET YOU OUT OF IT."
AGAIN, MAKES PERFECT SENSE THERE, YOU DECIDE TO FIGURE
OUT WHERE TO PLACE IT.
SOME PEOPLE GET ANGRY ALL THE TIME AND I THINK IT IS
GROSSLY COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.
SOME PEOPLE NEVER GET MAD AT YOU UNLESS IT IS ABOUT YOU
GETTING MAD AT THEM.
SOME SITUATIONS I THINK IT IS PERFECTLY REASONABLE TO GET
ANGRY.
LET'S SAY YOU'RE WAITING FOR AN AIRLINE THAT IS FOUR HOURS
DELAYED.
SOMETIMES IT'S REASONABLE TO GET ANGRY AND WHAT THAT DOES IS
MAKE THE MANAGERS THINK, I GOT PEOPLE GETTING ANGRY HERE,
I BETTER GET THESE PLANES MOVING.
WORKS A DECENT AMOUNT OF THE TIME, BUT IF YOU KEEP ON DOING
IT, YOU ARE GOING TO BURN PEOPLE OUT AND IT'S GOING TO BE
TERRIBLY COUNTERPRODUCTIVE AND NOBODY IS GOING TO WANT TO
BE AROUND YOU OR WORK WITH YOU.
AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT ANGER INFLUENCING THE WAY YOU TREAT
OTHER PEOPLE OR INFLUENCING WHETHER OR NOT YOU YELL AT OTHER
PEOPLE, IT'S ABOUT HOW ANGER MOTIVATES YOU TO TAKE A
DIFFERENT COURSE, OR TO DO SOMETHING THAT GIVES YOU THE END
RESULT THAT YOU WANT.
IS GIVES YOU THE MOTIVATION NECESSARY AND THEY WRITE
ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
"THOUGH IT'S THOUGHT TO HAVE EVOLVED PRIMARILY TO REPAIR
THE BODY FOR PHYSICAL AGGRESSION, THIS
PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE IS KNOWN TO HAVE OTHER BENEFITS, BOOSTING
MOTIVATION AND GIVING PEOPLE THE GALL TO TAKE MENTAL RISKS."
WHENEVER I'M TOLD, YOU CAN'T DO SOMETHING, THAT ANGERS ME
AND I USE THAT ANGER TO FUEL MY MOTIVATION, AND TO PUSH FOR
WHAT I WANT, AND USUALLY GET.
AGAIN, AGREED.
THE ONE THING YOU AND I DEFINITELY SHARE IS THE
LOOKING FORWARD TO, WHAT NOW?
OH YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, YOU STAY RIGHT THERE, I'LL BE
BACK AT YOU IN A MINUTE.
AND YES, THAT'S DEFINITELY A DRIVING FORCE.
EVOLUTIONARILY IT ALSO MAKES YOU MORE CREATIVE BECAUSE IT GIVES
YOU THE PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES THAT GET YOU READY TO REACT IN A
WAY THAT, IN THE OLD DAYS WOULD HAVE SAVED HER LIFE, AND IT
THESE DAYS LEAD YOU TO SOMETIMES POSITIVE RESPONSES,
INCLUDING MORE RISK-TAKING, WHICH MAKES SENSE.
LET'S TALK A LITTLE BETTER BUT SOME OF THE STUDIES THAT
WERE CITED IN THIS PIECE.
THIS ONE STOOD OUT TO ME THE MOST, THIS WAS RESEARCH
THAT WAS DONE BACK IN 2010.
"RESEARCHERS SURVEYED A GROUP OF 644 PATIENTS WITH CORONARY
ARTERY DISEASE TO DETERMINE THE LEVELS OF ANGER, SUPPRESSED
ANGER AND TENDENCY TO EXPERIENCE DISTRESS, AND FOLLOW THEM
FOR BETWEEN FIVE AND 10 YEARS TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT."
HERE'S WHAT THEY FOUND OUT.
"AFTER CONTROLLING FOR OTHER FACTORS, THE RESEARCHERS
REALIZED ANGER HAD NO IMPACT ñ WHILE SUPPRESSING IT INCREASED
THE CHANCES OF HAVING A HEART ATTACK BY NEARLY THREEFOLD."
SO THOSE WHO ACTUALLY RELEASE THEIR ANGER IN SOME WAY ARE LESS
LIKELY TO SUFFER THE RAMIFICATIONS, THE HEALTH
RAMIFICATIONS, BUT IF YOU SUPPRESS IT YOU ARE MORE
LIKELY TO SUFFER HEALTH CONSEQUENCES.
SUPER SENSIBLE, I GET THE LOGIC IN THAT AND THAT'S WHY I STOPPED
DATING WOMEN WHO WERE PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE AND JUST
STARTED DATING WOMEN WHO WERE AGGRESSIVE AGGRESSIVE.
BECAUSE LET'S JUST GET IT OUT IN THE OPEN, LET'S AT LEAST HAVE A
CONVERSATION ABOUT IT, YOU VENT, I'LL VENT, AND HOPEFULLY WE
WILL AVOID HEART ATTACKS.
AT THE SAME TIME THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD GO AROUND
YELLING AT EVERYONE YOU KNOW.
YES.
I FEEL LIKE WE'VE ALREADY BEEN TO THE REST OF THE STUFF I
HAVE PREPARED.
"OF ALL THE POSITIVE EMOTIONS, OPTIMISM ABOUT THE FUTURE
MAY HAVE THE MOST IRONIC EFFECTS.
LIKE HAPPINESS, POSITIVE FANTASIES ABOUT THE FUTURE
CAN BE PROFOUNDLY DEMOTIVATING.
PEOPLE FEEL ACCOMPLISHED, THEY RELAX, THEY DO NOT INVEST IN THE
NECESSARY EFFORT TO ACTUALLY REALIZE THESE POSITIVE
FANTASIES AND DAYDREAMS"
THAT IS ACCORDING TO A RESEARCHER FROM NEW YORK
UNIVERSITY.
YOU ARE OPTIMISTIC, IT'S ALL GOING TO WORK OUT, I'M
GOING TO BE A SUCCESS.
YOU ARE KIND OF DELUSIONAL ABOUT IT AND LESS LIKELY TO PUT
THE WORK INTO GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.
BEING A LITTLE MORE FEARFUL ABOUT YOUR FUTURE USUALLY
MAKES YOU A LITTLE MORE MOTIVATED TO TAKE THE
NECESSARY STEPS TO ACHIEVE WHAT YOU REALLY WANT.
THAT'S THE PART OF THE STUDY I TOTALLY DISAGREE WITH.
OF COURSE IT DEPENDS ON THE PERSON, BUT I CAN ALMOST FEEL ñ
I CAN ALMOST FEEL THAT THE RESEARCHER WAS A PESSIMIST.
THEY ARE ALMOST ASSUMING THAT IF YOU ARE HAPPY YOU ARE A
KNUCKLEHEAD.
I'M OPTIMISTIC MAN BUT, I DON'T KNOW WHY.
THEY ARE NOT SAYING THAT IF YOU ARE HAPPY YOU ARE A KNUCKLEHEAD,
IT MEANS THAT IF YOU ARE EXCESSIVELY OPTIMISTIC YOU
ARE LESS LIKELY TO ACHIEVE THE THINGS YOU WANT, BECAUSE IF
YOU HAVE AN ATTITUDE OF, EVERYTHING WILL WORK ITSELF
OUT, THEN YOU ARE LESS LIKELY ñ YOU ARE LESS LIKELY TO TAKE
THE STEPS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WORKS OUT.
I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT AT ALL.
WHY DOES BEING OPTIMISTIC PRECLUDE PLANNING?
AND MAYBE IT DOES, MAYBE THAT'S THE EVIDENCE THEY FOUND, AND I'M
ONLY LOOKING AT IT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, BUT I BELIEVE THAT
THERE IS A BETTER WAY TO DO THIS.
YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY BE OPTIMISTIC, AND THE ONLY
PEOPLE WHO HAVE EVER CHANGED THE WORLD ARE THE PEOPLE WHO
THOUGHT THEY COULD.
SO IF YOU THINK YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD, YOUR PESSIMISTIC
AND YOU THINK UNDER ñ
AND USE OF YOUR COUCH, THEN YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO CHANGE IT.
OR FORGET AMBITIOUS THINGS LIKE CHANGING THE WORLD,
CHANGING YOUR LIFE.
I THINK YOU GOT TO COMBINE THE OPTIMISM OF I CAN DO
ANYTHING, WITH ACTION!
IT DOESN'T JUST GET DONE WITH FANTASIES.
IF IT TURNS OUT THAT MOST OF THE OPTIMISTS ARE JUST PEOPLE
SITTING AROUND FANTASIZING, WELL THEN OKAY I AGREE, THAT'S NOT
GOING TO GET IT DONE, BUT IF YOU COMBINE REAL ACTION ñ AND BE
CAREFUL, AND KNOW THAT YES, THERE ARE REAL DANGERS IN THE
WORLD, THERE ARE PITFALLS AND SETBACKS.
THE KEY IS NOT WHETHER OR NOT YOU WILL GET KNOCKED DOWN,
EVERYONE GETS KNOCKED DOWN, IT'S WHETHER OR NOT YOU WILL GET
BACK UP.
RECENTLY THERE WAS A STUDY, BEN SENT IT TO ME, SAYING THAT
PEOPLE WHO LISTEN TO PLATITUDES ARE STUPID.
THE RESEARCHER HATES PLATITUDES, YOU COULD SEE IT IN EVERY
QUESTION HE ASKED, AND HE TILTED THE STUDY TO MAKE IT SEEM
LIKE, I'M IN THIS ñ I'M SMART FOR NOT BELIEVING IN ANYTHING.
IT'S OKAY TO YOU BELIEVE IN PLATITUDES CENK.
HE'S GOT HIS BIASES AND I HAVE MINE.
TAKE ACTION AND UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE GOING TO RUN INTO A LOT
OF OBSTACLES.
IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'VE GOT TO BE PESSIMISTIC, IT MEANS YOU
HAVE TO FIGHT HARDER TO GET PAST THOSE.
SORRY, THAT'S THE REALITY.
IF YOU THINK THAT IS TOO HAPPY, THEN THE PROBABLY IS THEIR VIEW
OF REALITY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW GRUMPY GANDHI WAS, OR MLK WAS, BUT MY
GUESS IS, WHEN THEY STARTED DREAMING ñ
IN THE CASE OF MLK, LITERALLY ñ THAT IF SOMEBODY CAME ALONG
AND SAID, NO YOU ARE BETTER OFF BEING A PESSIMIST.
DON'T SAY, I HAVE A DREAM.
SAY LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, PROBABLY NOTHING WILL EVER WORK AND
WILL NEVER GET CIVIL RIGHTS.
MY GUESS IS THAT WOULD PROBABLY NOT HAVE BEEN THE RIGHT ANSWER.
ALL I WANT THE AUDIENCE TO GET OUT OF THIS IS THAT IF YOU
HAVE A BAD TEMPER FROM TIME TO TIME, IT'S TOTALLY OKAY.
IT'S ACTUALLY PROBABLY HELPING YOU OUT A LITTLE BIT.
SAID THE PERSON WITH THE SLIGHTLY BAD TEMPER.