Depressed people more realistic.

In the words of the authors of a popular study:

"Research in social, personality, clinical, and developmental psychology documents that normal individuals possess unrealistically positive views of themselves, an exaggerated belief in their ability to control their environment, and a view of the future that maintains that their future will be far better than the average person's. Furthermore, individuals who are moderately depressed or low in self-esteem display an absence of such enhancing illusions. "

Some of you may have heard about depressive realism before. Pretty much, psychologists have come to realize that depressed people are more realistic about their situations and the world while their non-depressed counterparts tend to rate situations as more positive than they actually are.

For example, depressed people can more accurately rate how attractive/smart they are, while non-depressed people usually overestimate their attractiveness and intelligence. This study is fairly old, but has been replicated.

What do you think of these findings?

http://imagesrvr.epnet.com/embimages/pdh2/bul/bul1032193.pdf

 

I was not sure about it until I read the example I actually still doubt if it also counts in other scenario's. After all, depressed people are also becoming less atractive simply because they are depressive persons so it may be kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy thing.
I think it's just one of many states that can influence a persons outlook on reality for better or worse (with depression often for worse in the sense of wellbeing ).

 

Some years ago I saw a therapist who used to try to help with my depression at the time with a lot of stuff about assertiveness.

I was never very comfortable with the idea as it was presented to me in that context. Always seemed to me like a way to engage in wishful thinking, and to develop a non-critical, and therefore at least partly unconscious notion of oneself. It can also encourage people to gloss over their faults, and in fact become a pain in the ass.

On the other hand, I haven't been depressed seriously for several years now, and I wouldn't want to get depressed again. Because it is the other side of the coin. Things seem or can seem much worse than they really are if you get badly depressed. People tend to dismiss or not see the positive things in themselves. Things can seem hopeless.

I think a balance is necessary. It's good to have as accurate a view of yourself and your life as possible, but that doesn't necessarily mean you gain from being depressed. Remember Marvin the paranoid android?

 

But the world is pretty much 50/50 good and bad. How can being depressed/negative accurately represent that?

Overrating oneself is called confidence lol

 

I have no interest in being 'realistic' then.

 

There's a thin line between pessimism and realism. Maybe the study is looking at it from the wrong angle, and the realism is the cause of the depression, as opposed to the depression being the cause of the realism. Is ignorance bliss? Or is bliss ignorance?

 

I think the key to happiness is not taking life so seriously - so even if your situation is bad, you know it doesn't particularly matter. and when things are really good, you know that doesn't matter that much either.

I think people who are prone to depression tend to not only see the negative in everything but also assign much more weight to things than they really deserve.

 

I'm not a psychologist but isn't depression more about lack of control of your life causing hopelessness. I haven't read the link because it won't open but maybe optimism might better characterised as hope and "realism" in this context seems to be a PC way of describing hopelessness?

 

All the depressed people I know have substance abuse problems.

They also always put themselves down constantly, don't believe in themselves, and have almost no confidence.

So I can't agree with depression being more realistic.

 

yeah it's weird man ._.

I find many depressed people abuse drugs, and then run around telling me and others that drugs are so awful.

They are if you abuse them yes!

 

But what came first, the depression or the substance abuse problem?

 

Well,on the positive side [iyswim] depressed people,by definition,suffer less disappointments.
Which,by definition,makes them FAR less depressed than,for instance,an optimist who had his barbeque party rained off after 3 weeks of preparation.....which means,as everyone wanders off to the pub,leaving a waterlogged bbq to drown in silence,it's the depressives who are happier! Or something......

 

Since I got back to the 'world in 04, I was hit by a drunk driver (suffered a concussion that took me two years to recover), threatened with death from a total stranger in a checkout line (now I conceal carry), nearly lost my marriage (my wife wanted to "find herself"), and some more things.
I come from an impoverished background and had to work my way up to working class. I am grateful everyday to be living in the United States. For people who feel otherwise, go live in a third world country and see what hard is.
Yet, I have never for more than several minutes seen the glass as less than brimming over. Life is what you make of it. It is the only one you have. Do not waste it around negative people. If a person truly suffers from depression, I wish you the best.

- JKHolman

 

Agreed cos proper 'Clinical Depression' really sucks.

 

Substance abuse I think.

Most people ive met are depressed because they are filled with self-doubt ( I think anyways ) which to me means depression is a mind set the person created, its what they choose. These types of people I usually just stop talking too because its immature as hell and gets annoying. Stop talking in excuses.

Being depressed from grief is a different matter altogether.

Same with a life threatening illness that the person is dealing with.

Most depressed people that I got to know makes me think they just need to stop creating excuses and get some courage to fix your damn problems cause you are the only one who can. Stop being a little bitch get some fucking brains n courage and get off your lazy lass.

 

Depressive people are better -- 'nuff said.

 

I would beg to differ

 

I think it would depend greatly on the degree of depression. Some people are cliniclally depressed and medicated and they to me would not fit in with the statement. They do not see areas of good.

Those who fall with in the normal of life, which most people do not wish to admit to, as in they have moments of feeling depressed or down, they are probably somewhat more stable if they also have equal or greater moments of being happy or up.

It is relative to your views overall about life rather than definitive of your life.

 

I always guessed the depression came first

Because then they use the "substance" to cope.

But I guess it depends what drug they chose.

 

I think it's the opposite and depressed people are depressed because they're blowing themselves out of proportion and reality doesn't match their delusional minds. Best to remember not to take oneself too seriously.