Scientific Spotlight: The Relationship Between Our Beliefs about the World and Our Well-Being
Do you think the world is a good or bad place?
How do you view the world? Do you see it as dangerous or safe? Is the world generally a good or bad place? It turns out our beliefs about the world are tied to our well-being. An interesting research study from the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) examined our primal world beliefs or “primals” (e.g., the world is safe, dangerous, just, unjust, abundant, beautiful, etc.) and how these related to several measures of our well-being (e.g., job satisfaction, life satisfaction, depression, health, etc.). The findings showed the more negative your world view, the more likely you are to feel more negative emotional states, have lower life and job satisfaction, and be less healthy relative to those with more positive world beliefs. The study also found that many parents (53% of those surveyed) felt it was protective/helpful to teach their children that the world is a negative (e.g., dangerous) place in order to keep them safe and prepare them for navigating their future. You can see how this might create a bit of a problematic cycle. This post we will explore our primal world beliefs and how they serve us.
The article made me curious about my own primal world beliefs. In fact, I actually went to the UPenn study website and took the primals assessment. It’s quick (I took one of the shorter assessments), easy and free, and offers a nice explanation of findings. If you are interested in learning more about your own primals click here. My scores were generally consistent with what I expected. Overall, I think the world is good and safe with a lot to see and explore. This has been known to stress out certain members of my family who fear I will have a deadly encounter with a wild animal on a hiking trail or suffer some other terrible fate. I suspect they may believe the world is a more dangerous place than I do. I’ll just say I have received some interesting survival and self-defense gifts over the years.
Some may wonder how life experiences influence our primals. For instance, what would my primal beliefs be like if I experienced war first hand or felt unsafe on a daily basis because of where I lived. Traumatic experiences and hardships can have lasting effects. For example, my great grandfather lived through the Great Depression in the early 1930s as a young adult and for the rest of his life (he lived to be 94) was incredibly frugal and saw the world through a lens of scarcity. Even though the majority of his life he was financially secure, he was prepared for the worst and never seemed to enjoy life much (he was a bit of a grumpy fellow). Alternatively, many other individuals lived through the Great Depression and handled it much differently (cheerful, thankful, enjoyed life, etc.). We have all seen stories of individuals who were incredibly positive and inspiring after enduring terrible hardships and were able to see the world as a good place (Malala Yousafzai and Nelson Mandela are two examples that come to mind in this moment). Additional research on primal beliefs shows they aren’t as influenced by situational factors as we might think. For example, more affluent people don’t see the world as significantly more abundant or pleasurable than individuals with lower incomes. It seems several factors influence our primal beliefs and those are undergoing further research. The good news is it doesn’t appear that our circumstances dictate our primal beliefs. While we can’t change our past or most of our circumstances, we can look for signs of beauty, hope and positivity in the smallest of places.
It’s important to acknowledge the relationships between primal beliefs and outcomes are not causal, but rather correlational. Seeing the world as more of a dangerous or bad place doesn’t mean it will cause you to be more depressed, have lower life satisfaction, but it means it is more likely to happen. Feeling more negative emotions, and lower satisfaction with your job and life can also intensify beliefs that the world is a bad place. This makes it challenging to know which one causes the other and creates a negative cycle that reinforces itself. Our brains look for evidence to support our beliefs and viewpoints. If we think the world is a scary place then we tend to notice every news story, anecdotal tale, or life experience that supports this view. We also dismiss, overlook, or ignore evidence that counters this belief. This is called confirmation bias and it doesn’t serve us well especially when we get caught in negative cycles. So, what can we do about it? We can intervene and reverse the cycle instead of strengthen it.
TIPS for shifting to a more positive world view:
First assess it! Take the primals assessment and see if you actually feel like it is something that may be worthwhile to address. There are 3 types of primals so you may be surprised. Once you take your assessment there are additional resources and info you might find interesting.
Begin to notice what information you notice and look for each day. How does this impact your world view? Does it strengthen it? What do you do with information that challenges or counters your primal beliefs?
Look for evidence that supports a positive/good world belief. We often find what we are looking for, so focus on observing examples that support a more positive world view. Glimpses of beauty, acts of kindness and compassion are around us, but are often overlooked. One example I think of is snorkeling. When I am underwater it is easy to notice the BIG things—fish, sharks, turtles, etc. It makes sense. When we are underwater we are vulnerable. The big creatures pose a threat and let’s be honest, they are exciting to see. However the more time I spend underwater I find myself looking for the smaller, harder to find things. The creatures that can hide easily or blend into their surroundings. They are often the most beautiful and fascinating to me. They have always been there, I just had to notice them. If it’s hard for you to find evidence of positive primal beliefs enlist a loved one to help point them out. Sometimes positive things (and sea creatures) are well camouflaged.
Reflect on the positive things you notice. Keeping a journal and sharing stories and examples with others helps them stay with you longer. Your brain will absorb new and novel information better if you relive it and commit it to memory. Remember it’s doing something new and it takes some practice and time.
Focus on AND rather than OR. Allowing yourself to see the world as a good place doesn’t mean it is free from challenges or hardship. Can you hold both of these things together and allow space for the full human experience? Can you see the world as a good place and still have struggles? The goal of life isn’t to be in a constant state of joy, rather it is to experience all of the emotional states fully.
Be aware of how your primal world view might impact others. I mentioned earlier the study showed that many parents feel it is helpful to teach their children the world is a dangerous place in order to protect them. Based on the evidence, this approach may lead to negative outcomes. Sometimes the best intentions (keeping children safe/happy) and research don’t align. Instilling the belief that the world is a dangerous/scary place in children may do more harm than good. It doesn’t mean parents can’t teach their children safe behaviors about interacting with strangers, crossing the street, and so on, but it’s important to do this carefully and model the beliefs you hope they have. We want kids to see the beauty and kindness in the world around them rather than danger around every corner.
Seeing the world in a positive way doesn’t preclude us from adjusting to unique circumstances. Hardships and painful experiences will happen, however seeing the world as a dangerous or bad place doesn’t prevent them or make them easier to handle. Rather, it reduces our overall well-being and ability to enjoy all of the positive moments.
ONE more thing….Happy Anniversary to MTU!
This month marks ONE year since the launch MTU. Thank you for being a part of this community. We have grown a lot and hope to continue to do so during the next year. This year will bring a few changes. I am going to honor my intention of balance and scale back a bit. Instead of weekly posts, I plan to post twice a month. This will make room for trying out new content and features. My husband Ryan challenged me to venture into the podcast world. We will test it out together and plan to explore topics I post about on a deeper level, welcome guests, and talk with you in addition to writing. After all, I am a psychologist so I do like to converse. :) Stay tuned, I’ll introduce additional features and gauge your interest in months to come.
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