don's report archive

by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

Everybody knows that being fit, eating a balanced low-fat diet, maintaining a good sense of humor, having high self-esteem and memorizing large sections of the daily “Don’s Report” are key factors in remaining a healthy person and enjoying good prospects for a long and satisfying life. Studies of various isolated cultures around the world constitute a pretty good consensus on all but one of these traits. The seven basic predictors for longevity are not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, minimal use of alcohol, a good relationship, solid coping skills, exercise, and a relative lack of depression. All have been thoroughly investigated and recognized as keys to longevity.

Sometimes, however, an unlikely characteristic springs to attention that many laypersons or even some longevity experts had previously overlooked as a positive health factor. Can you think of some quality or trait that YOU suspect is important but most undervalue?

Here's a hint: "Sincerity is the key to success; if you can learn to fake that, you have it made."

I don't know who said that before I did but it hints at what I consider to be an unlikely wellness factor no doubt correlated with both increased longevity and a happier existence. I refer to the attitudinal skill of "faking it," in particular "faking" a bright disposition, cheerfulness, optimism and the like. Of course, it's surely better to TRULY feel bright, cheerful, optimistic and so on, but if you can't, you might want to pretend you do!

“Faking it" is probably good for your health and a key factor in how long you're likely to last. Surprised? In his studies of old people in Western Australia, Dr. Grant Donovan found an ability to maintain optimism in the face of adversity crucial to survival and "a significant hallmark of mental health." Donovan's work hinted that "accurate" perceptions of self and the world are not as crucial to one's well-being as "overly positive self-evaluations, exaggerated perceptions of mastery and unrealistic optimism!"

Maslow, Erickson and many believed that keeping in touch with reality was essential to mental health. However, reality is a subjective thing. Maybe a positive illusion, rather than an objective view of a grim reality, is preferable. It may be that an individual's PERCEPTION of his/her health status represents reality, whatever the circumstances, and thus is not actually an illusion after all. Perhaps we create our own realities with our beliefs, and the feelings that follow. Norman Cousins, in his landmark book “Anatomy of an Illness,” would agree with this perspective, as would the Dalai Lama. In a recent commentary, Australian surgeon John Bell cites the Dalai Lama as follows, "The communists took my country, threw me in jail -- who was my enemy? My enemy was hatred and anger, my jailor was my friend." Now there's a guy (god?) with a good attitude and, under the circumstances, a healthy view of reality!

So, work on your optimism, even if being optimistic may seem contrary to the facts in the situation. You may live longer—and you’ll definitely enjoy yourself and others more.

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the MENTAL DOMAIN under the skill area of emotional intelligence. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

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