The New Jersey Medical School has just released a "landmark" poll that purports to measure the level of optimism in Americans.
The Washington Times
The American spirit is alive and well: A landmark study released yesterday from a New Jersey medical school finds that the majority of us are overwhelmingly optimistic about the future, even if catastrophe looms on the horizon.
"Even if catastrophe looms on the horizon." Sheesh.
A sampling: 82 percent of Americans ages 18 to 24 feel optimistic about their futures; 82 percent of those ages 25 to 44 do so as well; and 75 percent of those ages 45 to 64 and 64 percent of those 65 or older agree. Only 15 percent to 22 percent of the respondents say they have grown more pessimistic over the past five years.
The public's response flabbergasted the pollsters.
"What amazed us most was their determined optimism, even as they showed great concern about bad things happening in the world," said Dr. Donald Louria of the Department of Preventive Medicine & Community Health at the New Jersey Medical School in Newark, which conducted the study.
How, they ask themselves, could anyone be optimistic when the world is going down the tube? The possibility of nuclear attack looms; biological attack threatens; and don't forget--no don't forget--global warming. And don't forget that those who are college-educated are more likely to believe in global warming, so if you don't believe you must be under-educated.
"We found this relative lack of concern surprising, given the overwhelming scientific consensus that global warming is occurring now, and that if unchecked, could be disastrous," said Dr. Cheryl Kennedy, a psychiatrist with the school.
Obviously, given the real, actual, bona-fide, certified, state of the world's imminent destruction, these optimists are deluded. They are fooling themselves into believing things might be better in the future. It's a defense mechanism--yeah that's it--a defense mechanism.
"We believe this personal optimism is sort of a last barricade," he said, and could prove "shaky."
Obviously the pollsters are pessimists who can't, on the most basic level, understand optimism.
