LYNN GRATTAN, the lead author of a study on how personality influences recovery from a stroke, says, "In some cases, two people with the exact same stroke-related deficits can have very different results." After a stroke, some people will be able to go back to work and resume their social lives, while some may be permanently disabled by the stroke. How well a stroke victim recovers may well depend on how pessimistic the person is to begin with.
The study looked at personality factors before the stroke, and recovery success afterwards. They found that those who were more "energetic, outgoing, flexible and self-confident" before a stroke will have the determination and persistence to do the difficult rehabilitation work after a stroke, so they recover much better.
In other words, pessimists don't have what it takes to persist in the face of such a depressing setback, so they don't get better. They don't improve. Which means the stroke is more likely to cause permanent disability in a pessimist than in an optimist.
This is true for any kind of setback; not just strokes. If you'd like to stand strong when the going gets tough, start now cleaning the pessimism from your mind. Start here: Undemoralize Yourself. Or read The Antivirus For Your Mind.
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