Do you see the glass as half-full rather than half empty？Do you keep your eye upon the doughnut，not upon the hole？Suddenly these clichés are scientific questions，as researchers scrutinize the power of positive thinking. Research is proving that optimism can help you to be happier，healthier and more successful. Pessimism leads，by contrast，to hopelessness，sickness and failure，and is linked to depression，loneliness and painful shyness. If we could teach people to think more positively，it would be like inoculating them against these mental ills.

    Your habits count but the belief that you can succeed affects whether or not you will. In part，that‘s because optimists and pessimists deal with the same challenges and disappointments in very different ways. When things go wrong the pessimist tends to blame himself.“I’m not good at this.”“I always fail.”He would say. But the optimist looks for loopholes. Negative or positive，it was a self-fulfilling prophecy. If people feel hopeless they don‘t bother to acquire the skills they need to succeed.

    A sense of control is the litmus test for success. The optimist feels in control of his own life. If things are going badly，he acts quickly，looking for solutions，forming a new plan of action，and reaching out for advice. The pessimist feels like fate‘s plaything and moves slowly. He doesn’t seek advice，since he assumes nothing can be done. Many studies suggest that the pessimist‘s feeling f helplessness undermines the body’s natural defenses，the immune system. Research has found that the pessimist doesn‘t take good care of himself. Feeling passive and unable to dodge life’s blows，he expects ill health and other misfortunes，no matter what he does. He munches on junk food，avoids exercise，ignores the doctor，had another drink.

    Most people are a mix of optimism and pessimism，but are inclined in one direction or the other. It is a pattern of thinking learned at our mothers‘knees. It grown out of thousands of cautions or encouragements，negative statements or positives ones. Too many“don’t”and warnings of danger can make a child feel incompetent，fearful—and pessimistic. Pessimism is hard habit to break—but it can be done.

    你看到的會是半滿的杯子，還是半空的杯子？你看到的是炸面包圈，還是炸面包圈中間的空洞？在研究學家們研究“樂觀向上的思維”時，這些看起來沒有什么意義的問題都變成了科學問題。研究表明，樂觀的精神可以有助于人變得更快樂，更健康，更成功。相反悲觀主義則會導致人的絕望，疾病，和失敗。悲觀主義也常常和情緒低落，孤獨，痛苦和害羞相聯系。如果我們可以教會人們“積極樂觀的思維”，就如同我們在人們身體里注入了預防心理疾病的疫苗一樣。

    你的一定會成功的信念很大程度度上影響著你是否可以成功。這部分是因為樂觀主義者和悲觀主義者在應對挑戰和失望的方式是有很大差別的。如果事情出了問題時，悲觀主義者總是則怪自己，對自己說：“我這方面不行，” “我總是失敗”。 但是樂觀主義者總會看到好的一面。積極和消極他們是自我實現的預言。如果一個人感到絕望，那么他也不會想著去學習某種技能來實現成功。

    自我控制是能否成功的“試劑”。樂觀主義者認為他的生活在自己的掌控之中，如果事情有了不好的變化，他會及時采取行動，找到解決問題的方法，形成新的解決方案，也會主動尋求不同的建議。而悲觀主義者會覺得命運弄人，不能迅速行動。認為什么也解決不了，所以也不會尋求他人的建議。很多研究都表明悲觀主義者的絕望情緒會破壞人體自然防御機能——免疫系統。研究也表明悲觀主義者不能很好的照顧自己。表現被動，感覺無法躲避生活的打擊，不論做什么對未來都有疾病和不行發生這樣的預期。他們通常總吃垃圾食品，不做體育鍛煉，不聽醫生的勸告，不控制的喝酒等等。