Cynics Earn Less Money Than Optimists, Study Finds

Optimists are often criticized for not having their feet on the ground.

Although excess optimism can be harmful, especially when one stops being objective and allows oneself to be carried away by unfounded optimism, Research reveals that optimistic people make more money than cynical people

Cynicism has a price

Being a cynical person has a price: it causes you to earn less money. This is the conclusion reached by researchers at the University of Cologne (Germany). The study, published by the APA (American Psychological Association) and led by Olga Stavrova and Daniel Ehlebracht, states that cynicism not only affects physical and emotional health, but also affects your wallet.

This only happens in countries with high levels of altruistic behavior and a low homicide rate. In this group are Holland, Italy, Finland and Sweden.

Cynicism affects health and wallet

Olga Stravova, researcher at the Institute of Sociology and Social Psychology at the University of Cologne, states: “Previous research on the consequences of having an attitude of cynicism indicates that it negatively affects different aspects. Cynicism has negative consequences for physical health, psychological well-being, the relationship and, as this study states, the pocketbook of the cynical person.”

This research revealed that Optimists earn on average $3,600 more per year than cynics In addition, the latter often miss out on valuable opportunities to work as a team and cooperate with people who can help them increase their income.

You may be interested:  Differences Between Assertiveness and Empathy

The study used data from Europe and the United States

More than 16,000 subjects participated in the study and responded to questionnaires that measured distrust and an attitude of cynicism. These results were then compared with the income of the respondents. The participants were people residing in Europe and the United States and the study combines results from different investigations.

The first research used data from 1,146 participants who took part in an Americans’ Changing Lives survey in 2002 and 2011.

The second study used data from 497 participants from a study published in the General Social Survey that was conducted in 2010 and 2012. The responses were similar to the study mentioned above.

The third study involved 15,698 Germans who were surveyed annually from 2003 to 2012. The conclusions were similar in all studies.

Despite the results obtained, Olga Stavrova, the co-author of the research, points out that “paradoxically in other countries where there is less philanthropy and more antisocial behavior, the most cynical people do not earn less than the optimistic ones. This happens in countries where this type of attitude is justified on a cultural level.”