Notes from a Psychologist
Dr. Mel Whitehurst

The purpose of Notes from a Psychologist is to encourage and inspire the spread of realistic optimism and hope. Optimistic thinkers tend to happier and healthier.

Optimism reflects the realistic general expectation that good things can and will happen. Optimistic thinkers form the habit of observing the world and analyzing it logically instead of reacting to immediate emotions.

I am collecting ideas on spreading realistic optimism and inspiring hope. If you have an idea that you would be willing to share, send it to me at drmelwhitehurst@gmail.com. I will add it to my collection. Thank you in advance.

Below are a few of ideas I’ve collected that encourage optimism and inspire hope. I will continue to periodically post new ideas.

“HOLY COW BATMAN, SENIORS ARE NOISER THAN YOUNG PEOPLE” (ROBIN)

A recent research study by six university psychologists reveals that seniors are more curious and inquisitive with regard to increasing their existing knowledge than young people. The study shows that seniors’ nosiness is the result of their desire to improve. (Interesting that us older people still want to get better.)

However, the research also shows seniors resist learning new information unless it helps them improve.

So, according to this study, seniors are nosy mostly because of a desire to improve.

Source

Greta Fastrich, Lily FitzGibbon, Johnny Lau, Sumeyye Aslan, Michiko Sakaki and Kou Murayama, Adult Age Differences in Noninstrumental Information-Seeking Strategies, Psychology and Aging, 2024, Vol. 39, No. 3, 313-323

SENIORS GET READY TO HAVE YOUR THREE-THINKING CHECKED OUT BY YOUR MEDICAL DOCTOR

Recently while getting a checkup with my family doctor, a nurse with a mask dashed in the room beforehand and asked me to remember three words. As I was leaving fifteen minutes later, she cornered me and ask me to repeat the three words from memory. Needless to say, I panicked. Then I attempted to repeat the three words.

Later after thinking about it for a while, I could see that my doctor was testing my ability to remember in threes. It seems that three-thinking is an important short-term memory measure. If I had remembered only two words, then I dropped back into two-thinking, and that’s not good.

Short-term memory is usually the first memory element to decline when we get older.

NOTE:

Now, I’m doubting that I got all three words correct. I can still draw a clock, count from 10 backwards, tie my shoes, and touch my nose with my eyes closed. So maybe I’m okay.

SENIORS ARE NOT AS EASY TO RATTLE AS YOUNG PEOPLE

In a wide variety of cognitive tasks, negativity impair older adults’ performance less than young adults. Negativity has a greater effect on the young. Additionally, seniors get over negative events quicker than younger people.

Source

Souza, Alessandra, Lemaire, Patrick, (Aix-Marselle Universite’), Aging, Emotion, and Cognition: The Role of Strategies, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 2024, Vol. 153, No. 2, 435-453

THIS I BELIEVE

For democracy to flourish a COLLABORATIVE and COOPERATIVE mindset toward governing is indispensable. Unfortunately, I believe for the past several years we’ve been following a zero sum game of governing where there are only winners and losers---all in or all out---no compromising. The winners strive to crush the losers and, therefore, half or more of our population end up being “losers.”

What happens to losers when they lose?

Could zero sum governing have anything to do with why there is so much divisiveness, dissension, and chaos in the political arena?

Is it possible for us to shift from a win-lose to a win-win form of government?

I am going to support political leaders who take a collaborative-cooperative strategy of leading.

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER WHEN DECIDING ON YOUR POLITICAL CANDIDATE

According to university professor, Dr. Eileen Chou, people commonly vote for pessimists, persons who mainly negate, refute, and criticize other people or entities, regardless of whether such statements can be verified. The idea of electing the most disparaging candidates among us seems doomed to eventually place in office inept political leaders. So, we need to stop supporting them.

On the other hand, numerous other behavioral researchers report that to have effective political leadership, we should vote for hope-oriented optimistic candidates. Their research on successful leadership convincingly demonstrates the superiority of hope-oriented political leaders.

My suggestion is to vote for the political leader who leads you to feel more optimistic and hopeful.

Sources

Jim Collins, Good to Great
Gleb Tsipursky and Tim Ward, Protruth
Drew Westen, The Political Brain
Eileen Chou, Naysaying and Negativity Promote Initial Power Establishment and Leadership Endorsement, Journal of Personality an Social Psychology, 2018, Vol. 115, No. 4, 638-656

SEARCH FOR A PERSON LIKE THIS

Do you know any person with a generous and kind heart and the rare ability to make you feel as if you were the only one in the room, a person who always has a kind word to say about everyone and is incapable of being unkind to anyone? Through their actions do you know anyone that shows the importance of forgiveness, and the necessity of loving each other. Most of all do you know anyone with a compassionate and gentle spirit.

If you know anyone like this, immediately secure them as your mentor and friend. Do your best to be imitate them. If you don’t know anyone like this, keep looking until you find one.

NOTE: The above is a summary description from a remarkable woman’s obituary that I read in a local newspaper. In my opinion, we should all aspire to be like her. Anyone who possess her positivity can change the world. I think this is a great example of a woman who demonstrated how to be happy.

MAKE A PERSONAL COMMITMENT TO NOTICE ANYTHING THAT INSPIRES YOU

Consciously look for inspirations. Something someone says or does, a book, an article in a magazine, a work of art, are among the many sources of inspiration that may encourage you to be more optimistic.

drmelwhitehurst@gmail.com