Does Pessimissim Lead to a "Better Life?"

Ed Poll over at Law Biz Blog

has an interesting post about positive thinking:

Quoting an article by Debra Cassens Weiss:

"... Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania, who studies positive psychology, says most optimists do better in life than merited by their talents alone.

But with lawyers, the opposite is true.

Seligman's survey of law students at the University of Virginia found that pessimists got better grades, were more likely to make law review and got better job offers.

"In law," he told the newspaper, 'pessimism is considered prudence.' "I think that Seligman's conclusion,suggesting that lawyers who are pessimists have better lives, is flawed.

Why?

He equates "do better in life" with getting better grades, making law review and getting better job offers.

That's silly. None of those things necessarily equates  a "better life." In fact, many lawyers I know who got the best grades, made law review and had "better" job offers out of school have miserable lives.

Life is what you make it. Hang out with postive thinkers, not Eeyore.