CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Introduction
An attempt is made to this chapter to review the existing
literature that is relevant to the study under investigation. It also aims at
familiarising with the work done by previous scholars and researchers on the
specific topic under study. It presents optimism, economic development and
Comic Strips (CS).
2.2. Optimism
Optimism is an inclination to put the most favorable
construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible
outcome. It is the philosophical opposite of pessimism. Optimists generally
believe that people and events are inherently good, so that most situations
work out in the end for the best (Wikipedia 2009).
Alternatively, some optimists believe that regardless of the
external world or situation, one should choose to feel good about it and make
the most of it. This kind of optimism doesn't say anything about the quality of
the external world; it's an internal optimism about one's own feelings.
A common conundrum illustrates optimism-versus-pessimism with
the question, does one regard a given glass of water, filled to half its
capacity, as half full or as half empty? Conventional wisdom
expects optimists to reply, "Half full," and pessimists to respond, "Half
empty" (assuming that "full" is considered good, and "empty", bad) (Wikipedia
2009).
Another paradox sometimes associated with optimism is that the
only thing an optimist cannot view as positive is a pessimist. Pessimism,
however, as it acts as a check to recklessness, may even then be viewed in a
positive light.
However, over-optimism, naive optimism or strong optimism, is
the overarching mental state wherein people believe that things will more
likely to go well for them than go badly. Compare this with the tendency for
people to overestimate the likelihood of good things happening rather than bad
things.
Optimism bias is the demonstrated systematic tendency for
people to be over-optimistic about the outcome of planned actions.
Personal optimism correlates strongly with self-esteem, with
psychological well-being and with physical and mental health. Martin Seligman,
in researching this area, criticizes academics for focusing too much on causes
for pessimism and not enough on optimism (Scheier, Michael E et al. 1986).
2.3. Economic
development
Economic development refers to increases in the standard of
living of a nation's population associated with sustained growth from a simple,
low-income economy to a modern, high-income economy. Its scope
includes the process and policies by which a nation improves the economic,
political, and social well-being of its people (Anne O. Krueger et al.
2009).
The term economic development typically refers to improvements
in a variety of indicators such as literacy rates, life expectancy, and poverty
rates. GDP is a specific measure of economic welfare that does not take into
account important aspects such as leisure time, environmental quality, freedom,
or social justice (Conteras R. 2009).
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