Focusing only on the bright side of life makes us blindly optimistic. We just see the happening of good events and sweep harsh realities of life under the rug. These are the kind of realities that often take us by surprise arousing negative circumstances. Due to always wearing the rose-colored glasses we are often caught off guard and unprepared. The power of optimism is no doubt very strong but there is a difference between healthy optimism and the over rated psychological version of optimism. In the presence of blind-optimism, true feelings are often overlooked and the ignored small issues turn into bigger problems.

Following are the three kinds of optimistic thoughts that often bring more harm than good in our lives.

Exaggerating the positive:

Thoughts of liking the people we meet or the new things that we try and overlooking the reality. When people see themselves as perfect, they do not make any effort to improve. They remain in a delusion that they do not need have any weakness to work on so they remain stuck in their own circle. They excuse major flaws and wrap themselves in toxic situations forever.

Becoming overconfident:

Thinking of oneself as skilled enough might be harmful and leave us unprepared for the unseen. We may skip practicing for a test assuming we have enough knowledge to answer the questions and might not even study for it. This is where overconfidence hits us hard.

Overestimating chance of success:

When we are overconfident, we overlook the risks involved while making new investments or taking big decisions. We just think that investments give gigantic returns and ignore the facts that losses can be huge as well.

Realistic thinking:

People often think that the more positive they think about something, it is better for them. But this is not accurate because it does not provide us inner satisfaction. Rational thinking is something with which we can have a positive outlook by keeping in mind the risks involved. Unrealistic affirmations or exaggerated clichés act like a mask hiding the truths. Therefore, instead of thinking that we will pass the test with flying colors and not preparing for it, we should think that we will do our best. This will bring inner satisfaction because we will be confident with our efforts.

Via: Business Insider