People who live in places with a historically higher disease risk have more positive views about the future of humanity, according to a recent University of Georgia-led study .
The researchers believe this positive perspective about the future may be an evolutionary adaptation because thinking positively confers several physical and mental health advantages.
"There are many ways that people cope with risk to survival. One way people may thrive when conditions are risky and difficult is to adopt a positive perspective about the future," said Brian Haas, lead author of the study and an associate professor in the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. That information may be passed down through generations.
"There is something to this idea of when things are difficult, thinking that this ship that we're all on is going in a good direction that benefits people in several ways."
Although it's important to be realistic, the researchers said, the survey results indicate that believing humanity is going in the right direction may enhance health and ultimately survival.
Americans are slightly optimistic. Brits, French, German less so.
The researchers surveyed more than 18,000 people across 68 nations. Participants were asked to rate the average quality of life of all humans on Earth now and what they think it will be 1,000 years in the future.
The researchers found that historical disease prevalence across countries was positively associated with predicting the future of humanity will be better than now. The researchers controlled for several factors such as life expectancy, economic stress and more.
People residing in countries including Angola, Vietnam and Venezuela tended to predict the future of humanity will be better than now. Americans were somewhat optimistic about the future of humanity. People in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and South Korea predicted the future of humanity to be about the same as now.
Thinking positive may convey health benefits
One possible explanation for the positive view about the future in countries with high disease burdens may be that a positive outlook is an evolutionary adaptation that enhances resilience against disease and stress - at least to a point, Haas said.
"There is evidence that being optimistic and thinking positively helps protect you from a lot of diseases, like cardiovascular disease and some mental illnesses," Haas said. "Hope and optimism tend to be pretty influential in enhancing one's recovery from disease."
For example, the COVID-19 pandemic, health care providers who reported higher levels of optimism were less likely to report feeling burned out and depressed, according to previous research. Thinking positively may help populations persist despite high disease risks and help these groups respond effectively when faced with disease outbreaks, the researchers said.
Confidence in the future may be generational
The study sheds light on how differently people around the world view the current state of humanity and the future, Haas said.
"If things are really difficult and I interact with somebody who says, 'Everything is going to be OK,' that may help me cope as well. And that positivity in the future could spread within a society and ultimately be passed on to subsequent generations."
Published by Personality and Individual Differences, the study was co-authored by more than 50 researchers from across the globe.
