Is pessimism pointless? Britons are known worldwide for being miserable. But some say you need a sunny outlook on life to make things better.
Gloom kills. Time to cheer up, formula proves
Is pessimism pointless? Britons are known worldwide for being miserable. But some say you need a sunny outlook on life to make things better.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper">What's happening? </h2>
In YemenThe poorest country in the Gulf region is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. , at least four out of every five people live in povertyThe state of being very poor. . The UK, meanwhile, is one of the top 25 richest countries.
But if you went around BirminghamA major city in England. It has a population of more than one million. and the Yemeni capital of Sana'a and asked people how happy they were, you would get a surprising result.
Britain is the second-most miserableSad. country in the world, according to a new surveyWhen you ask a group of people questions about what they think about a particular topic. , unhappier than Yemen, which placed ninth.
Perhaps this is not so surprising. Three quarters of Britons think the country is becoming a worse place to live.
Visitors to the UK often remark at how British people seem to relishEnjoy greatly. Or a type of sauce! their own misery. Perhaps being miserable is what makes Britons' happy.
But others say it is not good to be miserable all the time. There is even a mathematical formulaA formula is a group of mathematical symbols and numbers that show how to work something out. that shows that it stops you from getting anything done.
Yes! You do not have to say things are going well when they are in fact going badly. But you will not solve any problem by being miserable. You need hope in order to make things better.
No! No amount of optimismHaving a hopeful and positive outlook. will solve big problems with the economyThe way that money flows through a country, which affects wages and the cost of living. and the climateThe weather over a long period of time. . We need to be miserable about these things to understand them.
Yemen - The poorest country in the Gulf region is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis.
Poverty - The state of being very poor.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper">Find out more </h2>
Birmingham - A major city in England. It has a population of more than one million.
Miserable - Sad.
Survey - When you ask a group of people questions about what they think about a particular topic.
Relish - Enjoy greatly. Or a type of sauce!
Formula - A formula is a group of mathematical symbols and numbers that show how to work something out.
Pessimism - Always expecting the worst.
Optimism - Having a hopeful and positive outlook.
Economy - The way that money flows through a country, which affects wages and the cost of living.
Climate - The weather over a long period of time.
<h5 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper">Is <strong class="glossary-tip">pessimism<span class="tt" data-beeline-skip="true">Always expecting the worst. </span></strong> pointless?</h5>
Gloom kills. Time to cheer up, formula proves

Glossary
Yemen - The poorest country in the Gulf region is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis.
Poverty - The state of being very poor.
Birmingham - A major city in England. It has a population of more than one million.
Miserable - Sad.
Survey - When you ask a group of people questions about what they think about a particular topic.
Relish - Enjoy greatly. Or a type of sauce!
Formula - A formula is a group of mathematical symbols and numbers that show how to work something out.
Pessimism - Always expecting the worst.
Optimism - Having a hopeful and positive outlook.
Economy - The way that money flows through a country, which affects wages and the cost of living.
Climate - The weather over a long period of time.