Michigan State University has conducted the largest study of its kind on how major life events and aging affect people’s outlook on life, specifically optimism. It comes as no surprise to us at The Optimist Daily that people tend to remain optimistic about the future, even when times are hard.
The study surveyed 75,000 American, German, and Dutch people between the ages of 16 and 101 and found that even through major difficult events like death and divorce, people tended to maintain a positive outlook on the future. They maintained a focus on things that make them happy and found emotional balance.
The study also found that between the teenage years and 60s or 70s, people tended to become steadily more optimistic.
Lead author William Chopik says, “You don’t fundamentally change as a result of terrible things; people diagnosed with an illness or those who go through another crisis still felt positive about the future and what life had ahead for them on the other side.”
We are facing one of the most challenging times in our history as a society, but this study reinforces the resilience of the human spirit. Even as we battle a global pandemic, we are uplifted by the continued positivity of humans around the globe and look forward to bringing you more stories to support your inherent optimism.
