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Is your glass always half full? Is that because you’re so busy that you never have time to finish drinking it? Or is it because you are an optimist? Have you always been someone who could see a glimmer at the end of even the darkest, longest tunnels? Do you think your positive outlook is something you inherited? Or did you model it after continued exposure to an optimistic parent or medical school mentor?
Are you aware that your optimism makes it more likely that you will live to a ripe old age? A recent study of 69,744 women and 1,429 men initiated by researchers at the Harvard School T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Boston University Medical School, and the National Center for PTSD at Veterans Affairs Boston Health Care System found that “individuals with greater optimism are more likely to live longer and to achieve ‘exceptional longevity,’ that is, living to 85 or older” (“New Evidence that optimists live longer.” Harvard T.C. Chan School of Public Health. August 27, 2019).
Do you think your optimism has been a positive contribution to your success as a physician? Or have there been times when it has been a liability?
Because I’m not going to wait for you to answer, I’ll share my own observations. I sense that optimism is something with a strong genetic component, just as is the vulnerability to anxiety and depression. My mother was an optimist. However, I suspect that being around an individual who exudes a high degree of optimism can have a positive influence on a person who already has a partly cloudy disposition.
On the other hand, I’ve found that it is very difficult for even the most optimistic people to induce a positive outlook in individuals born with a chronically half empty glass simply by radiating their own aura of optimism. In my own experience, I have found that being an optimist has definitely been an asset in my role as a physician. – tension that may be exacerbating their ability to cope with the presenting problem. However, I have had to learn to recognize more quickly that there are situations when my optimism isn’t going to be effective and not become frustrated by its inadequacy.
Are there downsides to being an optimistic physician? Of course; there can be a fine line between being an optimist and sounding like a Pollyanna. To avoid stepping over the line, optimists must choose their words carefully. And more importantly, they must be reading the patient’s and family’s response to attempts at injecting positivity into the situation. Optimism also can be mistaken for a nonchalant attitude that signals a lack of caring and concern.
However, the most dangerous liability of optimism occurs when it slips into the swift running and turbulent waters of denial. I have almost killed myself on a couple of occasions when my “optimistic” interpretation of my symptoms has prompted me to “tough out” a potentially fatal situation instead of seeking timely advice from my physician.
My optimism sometimes has made it difficult for me to be appropriately objective when assessing the seriousness of a patient’s condition. Given a list of positives and negatives, my tendency might be focus more on the positives. As far as I know, my overly positive attitude has never killed any of my patients, but I fear a few diagnoses and remedies may have been delayed when the Prince of Optimism became the Queen of Denial.
Dr. Wilkoff practiced primary care pediatrics in Brunswick, Maine, for nearly 40 years. He has authored several books on behavioral pediatrics, including “How to Say No to Your Toddler.” Email him at pdnews@mdedge.com.
Is your glass always half full? Is that because you’re so busy that you never have time to finish drinking it? Or is it because you are an optimist? Have you always been someone who could see a glimmer at the end of even the darkest, longest tunnels? Do you think your positive outlook is something you inherited? Or did you model it after continued exposure to an optimistic parent or medical school mentor?
Are you aware that your optimism makes it more likely that you will live to a ripe old age? A recent study of 69,744 women and 1,429 men initiated by researchers at the Harvard School T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Boston University Medical School, and the National Center for PTSD at Veterans Affairs Boston Health Care System found that “individuals with greater optimism are more likely to live longer and to achieve ‘exceptional longevity,’ that is, living to 85 or older” (“New Evidence that optimists live longer.” Harvard T.C. Chan School of Public Health. August 27, 2019).
Do you think your optimism has been a positive contribution to your success as a physician? Or have there been times when it has been a liability?
Because I’m not going to wait for you to answer, I’ll share my own observations. I sense that optimism is something with a strong genetic component, just as is the vulnerability to anxiety and depression. My mother was an optimist. However, I suspect that being around an individual who exudes a high degree of optimism can have a positive influence on a person who already has a partly cloudy disposition.
On the other hand, I’ve found that it is very difficult for even the most optimistic people to induce a positive outlook in individuals born with a chronically half empty glass simply by radiating their own aura of optimism. In my own experience, I have found that being an optimist has definitely been an asset in my role as a physician. – tension that may be exacerbating their ability to cope with the presenting problem. However, I have had to learn to recognize more quickly that there are situations when my optimism isn’t going to be effective and not become frustrated by its inadequacy.
Are there downsides to being an optimistic physician? Of course; there can be a fine line between being an optimist and sounding like a Pollyanna. To avoid stepping over the line, optimists must choose their words carefully. And more importantly, they must be reading the patient’s and family’s response to attempts at injecting positivity into the situation. Optimism also can be mistaken for a nonchalant attitude that signals a lack of caring and concern.
However, the most dangerous liability of optimism occurs when it slips into the swift running and turbulent waters of denial. I have almost killed myself on a couple of occasions when my “optimistic” interpretation of my symptoms has prompted me to “tough out” a potentially fatal situation instead of seeking timely advice from my physician.
My optimism sometimes has made it difficult for me to be appropriately objective when assessing the seriousness of a patient’s condition. Given a list of positives and negatives, my tendency might be focus more on the positives. As far as I know, my overly positive attitude has never killed any of my patients, but I fear a few diagnoses and remedies may have been delayed when the Prince of Optimism became the Queen of Denial.
Dr. Wilkoff practiced primary care pediatrics in Brunswick, Maine, for nearly 40 years. He has authored several books on behavioral pediatrics, including “How to Say No to Your Toddler.” Email him at pdnews@mdedge.com.
Is your glass always half full? Is that because you’re so busy that you never have time to finish drinking it? Or is it because you are an optimist? Have you always been someone who could see a glimmer at the end of even the darkest, longest tunnels? Do you think your positive outlook is something you inherited? Or did you model it after continued exposure to an optimistic parent or medical school mentor?
Are you aware that your optimism makes it more likely that you will live to a ripe old age? A recent study of 69,744 women and 1,429 men initiated by researchers at the Harvard School T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Boston University Medical School, and the National Center for PTSD at Veterans Affairs Boston Health Care System found that “individuals with greater optimism are more likely to live longer and to achieve ‘exceptional longevity,’ that is, living to 85 or older” (“New Evidence that optimists live longer.” Harvard T.C. Chan School of Public Health. August 27, 2019).
Do you think your optimism has been a positive contribution to your success as a physician? Or have there been times when it has been a liability?
Because I’m not going to wait for you to answer, I’ll share my own observations. I sense that optimism is something with a strong genetic component, just as is the vulnerability to anxiety and depression. My mother was an optimist. However, I suspect that being around an individual who exudes a high degree of optimism can have a positive influence on a person who already has a partly cloudy disposition.
On the other hand, I’ve found that it is very difficult for even the most optimistic people to induce a positive outlook in individuals born with a chronically half empty glass simply by radiating their own aura of optimism. In my own experience, I have found that being an optimist has definitely been an asset in my role as a physician. – tension that may be exacerbating their ability to cope with the presenting problem. However, I have had to learn to recognize more quickly that there are situations when my optimism isn’t going to be effective and not become frustrated by its inadequacy.
Are there downsides to being an optimistic physician? Of course; there can be a fine line between being an optimist and sounding like a Pollyanna. To avoid stepping over the line, optimists must choose their words carefully. And more importantly, they must be reading the patient’s and family’s response to attempts at injecting positivity into the situation. Optimism also can be mistaken for a nonchalant attitude that signals a lack of caring and concern.
However, the most dangerous liability of optimism occurs when it slips into the swift running and turbulent waters of denial. I have almost killed myself on a couple of occasions when my “optimistic” interpretation of my symptoms has prompted me to “tough out” a potentially fatal situation instead of seeking timely advice from my physician.
My optimism sometimes has made it difficult for me to be appropriately objective when assessing the seriousness of a patient’s condition. Given a list of positives and negatives, my tendency might be focus more on the positives. As far as I know, my overly positive attitude has never killed any of my patients, but I fear a few diagnoses and remedies may have been delayed when the Prince of Optimism became the Queen of Denial.
Dr. Wilkoff practiced primary care pediatrics in Brunswick, Maine, for nearly 40 years. He has authored several books on behavioral pediatrics, including “How to Say No to Your Toddler.” Email him at pdnews@mdedge.com.