Chapter 4 brought up an interesting point that although optimism can be a good thing, too much of it is not beneficial. I completely agree with this statement because I believe that sometimes too much optimism can leave you disappointed if things do not go your way. I have witnessed this situation several times. Something that I found surprising was that cheerful and optimistic children were less likely to live to an old age than their more staid and sober counterparts. I find this statement interesting because to me it seems like optimistic people would live longer than pessimistic people. I also thought that optimistic people would be more likely to seek out the best treatment plans and follow their doctor’s orders in hopes that they will get better. The book answered this question when it made the point that happiness is a by product of a pathway to long life.
Chapter 5 was interesting in the sense that one reason conscientious people live longer is because they cooperate with their medical treatments. Although, this statement may be true I believe that there is an exception. I think that anyone who is motivated to get better will cooperate with their medical treatments. I do not think that cooperation is subject to one personality. Conscientious people may find it easier to cooperate, but I think that cooperation is mainly based on internal drive rather than personality.
I also found it surprising that that cheerful and optimistic children were less likely to live to an old age than their more staid and sober counterparts. But if you think about it, cheerful people are more likely to participate in riskier activities which can lead to injury or even death. So that explains why they often live shorter lives than those who are more calm. I agree that cooperation is based on internal drive. If you care about achieving a result, you will try your hardest. However, conscientious also plays a role. Conscientious people are more likely to cooperate because they are generally very hard working, diligent people.