The Optimism Bias: Cultivating Gratitude to Rewire Our Paleolithic Brains

Is the glass in the picture half-full or half-empty?

Psychologically, the question half-full or half-empty can reveal underlying attitudes and biases.?

Optimists might argue that focusing on the half-full part encourages positive thinking and resilience, leading to better mental health outcomes. I've seen in many situations where the person who perceives and describes the glass as "half-full" has been dismissed as a dreamer or a Pollyanna persisting in a simplistic "glass-half-full" kind of optimism. On the other hand, pessimists might claim that recognizing the half-empty part prepares one for potential disappointments, possibly a more realistic approach in certain situations.

However, in his book "The Art of Possibility," author Rosamund Stone Zander challenges this perception. He suggests that the "half-empty" crowd is stuck in fiction. According to Zander, "emptiness" and "lack" are abstract concepts, while "half-full" measures physical reality. Therefore, the optimist attends to real things and describes the substance in the glass.

In my opinion, the half-full and half-empty perspectives are not separate realities but different degrees of how someone perceives the glass content—two extremes of the same thing. Both views are correct; just as the observer effect in quantum physics suggests that observation can alter a particle's state, our worldview acts as an observer of our reality, shaping our experiences and outcomes by the mere act of perception.

Are we predisposed to a negativity bias due to how our brains function?

The mind is like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones, psychologist Rick Hanson says.?

Evolution explains the bias towards processing negative information more rapidly and intensely than positive information. The human brain's limbic system developed this way due to the evolutionary advantages it offered when we were hunters and gatherers. This "negativity bias," mainly centered on the amygdala's role as the "fear center," helped our ancestors survive by making them highly responsive to threats.

According to Eric Haseltine, author of the book "Long Fuse, Big Bang," our brains haven't changed much since Homo Sapiens first appeared in the Paleolithic Africa 200,000 years ago. To get a gut —literally—of how little your brain has changed from that of our distant ancestors, imagine how your body would react during a finance meeting when you learn that your budget will be cut or your boss tells you that your position has been terminated.

How does a negative bias shape our perception of the glass being half-full or half-empty??

By practicing gratitude, can we rewire our Paleolithic brains to see the glass as half-full regardless of our circumstances??

According to UCLA's Mindfulness Awareness Research Center, regularly expressing gratitude can cause neuroplasticity in the brain, which is the brain's ability to form new neural connections. This "rewiring" effect can lead to positive growth and change.

My experience has taught me how difficult it is to stay positive when facing challenges or hardships. However, everything changed when I started practicing absolute gratitude twelve years ago. Little by little, I noticed that every problem, dilemma, and dead-end I faced that appeared unsolvable within a particular frame or point of view were opportunities or learning experiences I had to go through when I looked at it from a different point of view. ?

Gratitude has changed the lens through which I see the circumstances in my little slice of time. It has made me realize that everything is temporary—AND THIS TOO SHALL PASS—and that I must remain positive and not give up. Paraphrasing Randy Pausch, the brick walls are there not to keep me out but to show how badly I want something.?

Being grateful for having a glass is a sign that your gratitude practice is working. Another one is realizing that sometimes you must empty the glass to refill it with new or fresher content.?

It can be challenging! Becoming a grateful person is a lifetime journey. It takes time to find something to give thanks for when you lose someone you love or find that you only have a few months to live.?

Give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

The Bible does not command us to be grateful in all circumstances. Instead, it commands us to give thanks in all circumstances. Echoing Steve Colbert, if life is a gift, then you can't pick or choose what you are grateful for.

Start now!?

Each day take a moment to acknowledge things that you are greatful for. Write things down in a journal can help you become more aware of the positive aspects of your life—search for gratitude jornals apps in your phone. Focus on small things. If you slow down and pay attention, you will discover blessings that are hidden in plain sight. When you wake up every morning say thank you—you are alive! Don't take it for granted, thousands of people die each day while sleeping.

Gratitude can change your life.

If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is -Thank You- it will be enough—Meister Eckhart.