[extropy-chat] optimism study

[Brett Paatsch]

Al Brooks wrote:

>A Dutch research involving 900 men & women aged 65-85
> has concluded there is a 55% reduction in death by all
> causes by the subject being optimistic; a 23%
> reduction in death related to cardio-vascular
> conditions by being optimistic. 

The healthy side of the power of positive thinking has been 
recognized for quite a while. Presumably that is part of the 
reason that placebos work to some extent.  

I read somewhere recently that depressed or pessimistic
people make for more reliable eye witnesses at crime senses.
(Sorry I don't have the source.)

I think it was that optimists don't tend to see what actually
happened but rather what they thought would probably
have happened. 

I wonder how optimism/pessimism would correlate to IQ?

Brett Paatsch