pessimism

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Americans' Predictions for US in 2023 Aren't Good

Majorities expect tax increases, political conflict, more crime: Gallup

(Newser) - New year, new country? Not the way most Americans see it, according to Gallup . Given the partisan politics and economic struggles of 2022 , a new poll finds Americans are "largely pessimistic" about the state of the US in the coming year. Some 80% expect economic difficulty, with tax increases...

Poll: Americans' Optimism Fades as Delta Spreads

Even a month ago, the public felt better about the pandemic

(Newser) - In June, 89% of Americans polled saw the COVID-19 outbreak as improving, with just 3% saying it was worsening. That was before the delta variant of the coronavirus made itself felt. In July, the Gallup Poll reports, more adults expressed pessimism than optimism about the pandemic—45% to 40%. It'...

Optimistic Women May Live Longer
Optimistic Women
May Live Longer
new study
Dec 8, 2016 9:15 AM CST

Optimistic Women May Live Longer

They appear less likely to die from common illnesses

(Newser) - When asked about their secret to aging, the world's oldest people often bring up not sweating the small stuff . In fact, optimism is associated with greater personal happiness, but could it impart biological benefits as well? Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health suggest it's possible in...

Pessimistic? You Might Live Longer
 Pessimistic? 
 You Might 
 Live Longer 
study says
Feb 28, 2013 1:03 AM CST

Pessimistic? You Might Live Longer

Study cites dangers of being 'overly optimistic'

(Newser) - Here's a bit of a surprise: Pessimistic people actually appear to live longer than their sunnier peers, a study suggests. Researchers reviewed 40,000 subjects over a 10-year period and found that "being overly optimistic" was linked to "a greater risk of disability and death within the...

77% Think Washington Politics Do 'Serious Harm'

But slight majority is optimistic about future: poll

(Newser) - Most of America thinks the Washington political process is doing "serious harm" to our country, a USA Today/ Gallup poll finds. Some 77% say so, while just 19% disagree. Republicans feel slightly more strongly that Washington is doing harm, with 87% slamming DC politicians; 79% of independents and 68%...

Site Takes On World Champs of Pessimism: the French

Professor's evidence counters doomsayers

(Newser) - Can the Internet cure pessimism? A French professor hopes so, and is launching a site designed to battle the blues in France. It's aimed at "les declinologists," who fear that French culture and society are in their death throes. A poll early this year found the French to...

Glass Half-Full, or Half-Empty? Ask Your Genes

New link made between genes, risk of depression

(Newser) - Bad—or, potentially, good—news for pessimists: Some people's negative outlook on life appears to be caused by a genetic condition, according to a new study. Researchers found that people with low levels of the brain chemical NPY are likelier to be pessimistic, to deal poorly with stress, and to...

86% Say America Is Broken
 86% Say America Is Broken 
Poll Numbers
Feb 22, 2010 12:51 PM CST

86% Say America Is Broken

But most still believe it can be fixed

(Newser) - A whopping 86% of Americans believe that their government is broken—an 8-point increase from 2006, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey. But among that group, 81% say it can be fixed, while 5% say it’s beyond repair. The increase came mostly from higher-income earners and people in...

Adam Lambert Is What Ails America
 Adam Lambert 
 Is What Ails America 
PEGGY NOONAN
Dec 18, 2009 5:50 AM CST

Adam Lambert Is What Ails America

Bad public behavior is behind pessimistic national mood

(Newser) - America's in a funk and it's partly Adam Lambert's fault, according to Peggy Noonan. Polls show that pessimism is the prevailing national mood and that's got as much to do with fears about the direction of this country's culture as it does to do with economy, Noonan writes in the...

US Glum on Economy — and GOP, Too
 US Glum on Economy 
 —and GOP, Too 
Poll
Oct 28, 2009 11:47 AM CDT

US Glum on Economy —and GOP, Too

Republican Party lacks opposition bump usually accompanying hard times

(Newser) - Americans are bummed about the economy, but that hasn’t given Republicans the usual opposition party boost in Washington. “The mood in America may be blue, but attitudes toward Washington are just jet black,” a pollster tells the Wall Street Journal . Some 58% of respondents think the economy...

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