Scientists discover ‘The economic power of positive thinking’

Will having a population that is generally happy and optimistic mean the economic fortunes of their countries will be better?

Worldwide studies find that it will. Optimistic people influence the economic growth of their countries.

Research at Duke University shows that optimistic people work harder, earn more, get elected to office more often, and win at sports more regularly. And they live longer.
Other studies indicate that people who are happier do better both in terms of income and health.

Positive-thinking CEOs invest more in innovation, spend more on research and development, and are granted more patents, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.

In the short term, fast economic growth makes individuals more optimistic. Over a 15-year period, it appears that happiness and optimism are a driving force behind a country’s economic performance, encouraging risk, experimentation and hard work, according to a many-country analysis by the University of Siena in Italy.

The studies also showed that higher surveyed happiness was associated with more rapid productivity growth.

The irony is that happy people do wear rose-colored glasses, but their predictions are accurate in many areas. At least they pretend to be optimistic.

Self-deception makes them willing to take risks and invest in a better future for themselves and their countries.