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Optimists also are more likely to have self-confidence, while pes- simists often doubt their own abilities. People with self-confidence believe in themselves. Like Lisa, they recognize the things they are good at, and they trust themselves to do a good job when they give something their best efforts. They’re not afraid to try something new, and they handle challenges as they come along. People who lack self-confidence, however, don’t believe in them- selves. Like Amy, they’re scared of failing. Optimism and self-confidence are positive emotions. People who are optimistic and self-confident feel happier in general. They’re less likely to be depressed . It may seem like they’re lucky. But emotions like optimism and self-confidence aren’t merely good luck. EMOTIONS Our emotions are the feelings inside our minds. We’ve been ex- periencing them our entire life, ever since we were babies. Some- times we feel happy, and sometimes we feel sad; sometime we feel angry, sometimes we’re scared, and sometimes we are bored. All these feelings come and go inside us. We may feel as though we have little control over them. We may also feel as though our inside feelings are telling us about outside reality. So when we feel sad, for example, we Make Connections Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a test that uses a magnetic f ield and pulses of radio wave energy to make pictures of organs and structures inside the body. For an MRI test, the area of the body being studied is placed inside a special machine that contains a strong magnet. Pictures from an MRI scan are digital images that can be saved and stored on a computer for more study.

What Are Opt imi sm & Se l f -Conf idence?