The bright side of pessimism

Taking the negative view often gets a bad rap. But it can be a powerful asset when used appropriately, writes University of Texas at Austin psychologist Art Markman. Pessimism can open our eyes to potential obstacles up ahead, giving us essential time to prepare, and perhaps avoid, the worst case scenario. Pessimistic tendencies can also open our eyes to the ways in which our world can be improved. The key is to channel those realizations into energy, so we can get to work at making things better.