The quality of human life depends not only on the level of physical health but also on the state of mental or psychological health. The way a person feels his inner balance largely influences his actions, activities, and, consequently, his lifestyle. Immunity is believed to be an important biological system that aims at establishing the appropriate internal conditions that allow humans and animals to survive. Optimism has a significant positive effect not only on the overall level of human health but also on the functioning of its immune system and the body’s ability to combat adverse elements.
Optimism represents a state of mind that expresses a conviction or expectation that the result of a single attempt, or the consequence of all efforts, will be positive, beneficial, and pleasant. A cup that is half-filled with a drink or half empty is considered to be a frequent expression utilized to depict the struggle of optimism against pessimism. An optimist views the cup as half-filled, whereas a pessimist perceives the cup as half-empty. Pessimism, on the contrary, is a negative psychological approach, where one forecasts a bad result from a particular scenario. Pessimists are prone to concentrating on the unpleasant aspects of life. In addition, optimism is described in the manner in which individuals explain why situations happen the way they do. Optimistic people tend to regard losses or unfavorable events as temporary rather than lasting, local rather than global, and external instead of internal reasons for failures. Both optimistic and pessimistic approaches illustrate the specific worldview of a separate person.
Human health is believed to be one of the most important life values that are obligatory to be protected to ensure stable well-being conditions. One of the examples of health defense processes is called the immune system. Immunity is the body’s capacity to survive and protect itself from unknown and potentially dangerous objects. It includes fighting viruses, creating barriers for foreign bodies and diseases, removing dust from breathing, and eliminating tumor cells. Immunity is compiled of two particular types that are described as innate and adaptive immune systems. The innate immune system defends the organism from illnesses but has no storage or memory; therefore, it does not provide long-term protection. Adaptive immunity, defined as the second version, has recollection and is considered to have a prolonged defense against emergent illnesses and harmful bacteria. The general working principle of the immune system is depicted as a set of interacting elements that adjust to every new infection they confront and can develop pathogen-specific resistance. Immunity is an obstacle to bad microorganisms that ensures the general vital activity of a person, which allows him to keep a fulfilling lifestyle.
The level of human internal psychological well-being and health is influenced by his thoughts and positive or negative thinking. According to the scientific works in biology, substantial distinctions in immunological indicators between ‘optimistic’ and ‘pessimistic’ rats were discovered (Curzytek et al., 2018). Concerning humans, when faced with stressors and pressure, such as, for instance, being diagnosed with cancer and admitted to hospital, studies reveal that optimistic people feel less anxiety and stress (Mens et al., 2020). Based on the arguments, it can be stated that there is a relationship between the level of stress, bad news, health fears, and a positive or negative attitude towards life. The expectation of a favorable outcome in any situation is the effect of a person’s behavior and the emotions that he experiences. Scientific papers on enthusiasm and wellness levels analyzed the impact of optimism on short-term health results. They discovered that optimistic individuals possess better overall health than pessimists consistently (Mens et al., 2020). Therefore, joyful behavior and mindset are possibly be considered as the causes of improved health levels.
What concerns a more detailed analysis of the correlation between optimistic behavior and the immune system, is a causal relationship is detected. In opposition to the consequences of inflammation, optimism has been connected to markers of cell-mediated immunity in a more detailed way (Mens et al., 2020). Hence, in comparison with other psychological aspects of life perception, the influence of the expectation of a positive outcome has more evidence. Utilizing the major findings in the sphere, researchers state that the biological elements produced due to the presence of optimism and happiness play a significant role in the immune reaction (Curzytek et al., 2018). The direct relationship between the level of optimism or pessimism and the state of the immune system, and the ability of the human body to survive and fight has been proven at the scientific level.
In conclusion, the human body is influenced by physical factors from the outside and the internal state and attitude to surrounding events. Immunity represents an obstacle for illnesses that ensures a high level of resistance to foreign organisms. A relationship between the anxiety level and positive or negative general life perception is present. Optimism and happiness have an impact on the well-being and health of a person, and optimistic behavior is proved to be one of the stimuli for improved immunity.
References
Curzytek, K., Kubera, M., Trojan, E., Wojcik, K., Basta-Kaim, A., Detka, J., Maes, M., & Rygula., R. (2018). The Effects of Pessimism on Cell-Mediated Immunity in Rats.Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 80, 295-303. Web.
Mens, M. G., Scheier, M. F., & Carver, C. S. (2020). Optimism and Physical Health.The Wiley Encyclopedia of Health Psychology, 385-393. Web.