#359 Originals 21

Originals 21 Working with Emotions This chapter looks at the emotional cost of going against the crowd. Optimism and Pessimism Julie Norem found pessimists did well because of their pessimism. Keep Believing Alison Wood Brooks split students into two groups. One group was asked to say "I am calm" before going on stage to give a 2-minute speech. The other group was to say "I am excited." The "excited" group was scored 17% better and 15% more confident. In a similar test, group that was told "Try to get excited" was 22% better than the group "Try to remain calm." A third experiment was conducted. It was to sing in public. Students were grouped into three. One wasn't asked to say anything. One was to say "I am worried." One was to say "I am excited." The group who said nothing scored 69%. The group who said "worried" scored 53%. The group who said "excited" scored 80%. When we are frightened, it is better to make ourselves excited thqn to try to stay calm. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn