Scientists have discovered a strange harm - elation interferes with rational reasoning
Everyone wants to always be in a good mood, but that turns out not to be such a good thing. In a state of elation and optimism, a person does not think rationally and their judgments are strongly influenced by emotions.
The more cheerful and positive we are, the easier it is to form an opinion based on the first impression, excluding common sense and analytical abilities, and this threatens to lead to problems at a later stage. The Daily Mail writes about this and refers to a study by the Australian psychologist Joseph Forgas, focused on the extent to which a good mood affects thought processes.
Participants in the study had to read a short philosophical essay accompanied by a picture of a young woman or an elderly man. People in a more cheerful mood preferred to read the essay they were told was written by an older man, while those in a bad mood perceived the essay written by the older man and the young girl equally. The same smile that seemed friendly and sympathetic to those in a positive mood seemed strange and even threatening to those in a negative mood, the study authors added.
Keep calm
The results suggest that for people who rely on the stability of their own reasoning and analytical abilities, such as company directors, managers, judges and lawyers, it is important to be calm and in a normal state, rather than depressed or highly emotional. Mood, of course, is of great importance for all people, regardless of what their professions are, and especially for those who are responsible for human life: doctors, drivers, pilots, machinists, the publication adds.
