tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6384408517212906704.post5932308558571006763..comments2024-01-29T23:26:56.801-08:00Comments on Got Health?: I'm Pretty HealthyJustFredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09078745998105175452noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6384408517212906704.post-35453046484810580132013-09-03T06:08:42.200-07:002013-09-03T06:08:42.200-07:00The human brain is a storyteller. It tells us tal...The human brain is a storyteller. It tells us tales about the way things are, and it allows us to imagine the way things could be.<br />But what if the stories we tell ourselves aren't true? How would we know? What if all our brains are wired to lie about reality and our place in it? Why do so many people consistently disregard risk? Neuroscientist Tali Sharot has discovered there's a reality-distortion mechanism built into the human brain. She wrote a book about it called The Optimism Bias. The optimism bias is our tendency to overestimate the positive things in our lives and underestimate the likelihood of negative things in our lives. People overestimate their success professionally, their longevity. They underestimate their likelihood of suffering from cancer, of getting divorced. We are more optimistic than realistic, but most of us are oblivious to the fact. We're not aware of it. Nearly 80% of the population is affected by this bias. Most people rate themselves above average on most abilities. And that's, of course, statistically impossible, 'cause we can't all be better than everyone else. It's commonly believed that, when your expectations are not met, you alter your expectations. Our brains seem to resist negative information, but only when it applies to us. Optimism changes the way we see the world. <br /><br />Alas, we are human!Robin Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08440858513027184655noreply@blogger.com