Pigs, squirrels, and managing pain

OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES, THERE HAVE BEEN many supporting studies of the health-promoting effects of an optimistic personality.

- DAVID AGUS

Newer research demonstrates that high levels of hope have been found to be related to lower levels of pain, psychological distress, and functional disability in patients with chronic illnesses.

This is not to say there's no value in grief and feeling glum. Forced optimism can backfire when too much inauthentic positivity leads to denialism and hiding dark emotions that demand we process them. But the two do interact to help determine your overall personality and approach to life in response to positive or negative events. Unsurprisingly, this is also true for other members of the animal kingdom, particularly for pigs and squirrels.