False optimism: what is it and what are its negative effects

No one can doubt that optimism is an attitude that can take us very far in life and can help us to be happy.. Optimism is a virtue, as long as the optimistic person has a high confidence in himself and is realistic about the environment that surrounds him.

Otherwise, we would be talking false optimism. And as he said Abraham Maslow, one of the greatest exponents of the humanist current, "False optimism, sooner or later, means disappointment, anger and despair."

In this article we will talk about false optimism and we will delve into this concept and its characteristics.

What is false optimism?

When we adopt a positive and optimistic mindset, the world seems to turn in the direction we want. But for optimism to be authentic it must be in tune with our self-esteem, because with low self-esteem, optimism simply masks our weakness.

Feeling good about yourself is essential for us and for relating to the environment around us. High self esteem It makes us much more positive people, aware of our strengths and weaknesses and that, after accepting ourselves as we are, we can look forward without fear. High self-esteem allows us to adapt to the environment around us with a smile, despite the fact that not everything goes well for us. The true optimist learns from mistakes, because his vision of the world allows him to accept defeats and understand that we are not perfect.

However, optimism has become fashionable, and some people want to appear optimistic when their inner world is cracked. They do not have a good connection with themselves, but they cover themselves with the armor of optimism. False optimism feeds not wanting to face reality to escape from problems, and it becomes a double-edged sword that sooner or later ends up damaging. In short, it hides a denial of pain and suffering.

Characteristics of the false optimist

People with false optimism are overly reliant on external approval and use optimism to avoid having to reflect on or face their fears. But, What characterizes these types of individuals? People with false optimism present the following traits and attitudes:

1. They are not realistic

These types of individuals are unrealistic and use optimism to escape frustration and the fact of having to face an unpleasant reality. To grow as human beings we must face our fears and be tolerant of frustration, otherwise, we do not benefit from life experiences that make us suffer, which in the long run are those that allow us to develop a strong personality prepared for the least we like them.

Living happily 24 hours a day is impossible, so we must accept it. In addition, false optimists do not usually achieve their goals, because they are not realistic and false optimism ends up frustrating them.

2. They are not true to themselves

These types of individuals are not honest with themselves, and that is why this phenomenon is called false optimism. This self-deception is usually frequent when someone does not want to accept the reality that surrounds them, is an attempt to reduce the anxiety and discomfort you feel.

• This is called cognitive dissonance. We explain it to you in our article: "Cognitive dissonance: the theory that explains self-deception”

3. They are negatively valued

As I have commented in previous lines, these types of people do not value themselves positively, that is, they have low self-esteem. In this context, false optimism acts as a form of protection, since the person does not have enough mental strength to resolve both internal and external conflicts.

4. They don't live in the present

There is much research that has shown that people who practice Mindfulness they enjoy greater well-being. This occurs because they live in the present moment and have a non-judgmental attitude. People with false optimism live with irrational expectations, far from a "mindful" mentality..

• You can learn more about the benefits of living in the present in our article: "How to live in the present moment, in 7 psychological keys”

5. They are not self-motivated

False optimism may seem like a good motivational tool, but it isn't because expectations and goals are irrational. Applying false optimism to achieve your goals can bring negative consequences. For this reason, it is always important that the goals we propose are achievable, realistic, clear and measurable, as we explain in our article: “The importance of goal setting in Sports Psychology”.

6. They have not found inner peace

When a person has not found inner peace, it is easy for him to be influenced by the outside world and for his happiness to depend on this. They are people who compare themselves to others and who are continually concerned about what others think of them. False optimism is characteristic of those subjects who are not really aware of their emotions, virtues and limitations. People who do not accept themselves as they are.

The false optimism trap

Believing that one is optimistic when he is not, is a serious mistake, because this makes people not enter their inner world and this "prevents them from connecting with their inner world", just as it states the psychologist Juan Cruz in an interview with the newspaper El Mundo. Optimism is a trap that does not allow self-reflection, which has many benefits for personal development as we discussed in our article: "Personal Development: 5 reasons for self-reflection”.

The false optimism trap is just as bad as pessimism, because it prevents people from learning from their experiences, something that, without a doubt, is key to growing and developing ourselves.