Ever sign up for a gym membership, then fail to attend more than one Pilates class or toning session? According to a reassuring study from the Journal of Consumer Research, it might not be (just) about laziness -- seems the natural human condition plays a role, too. Researchers say the never-used gym membership is an example of "unrealistic optimism," which is the tendency of consumers to "adopt the tentative hypothesis that they will behave in an ideal fashion when predicting their future behavior." Translation: We think pretty highly of our future selves. The study looked at unrealistic optimism in terms of exercise habits, and anecdotal evidence from Lemondrop readers confirms the scientific results. Kristen of Hoboken, N.J., spent $40 on a yoga mat in May, and she planned to do sit-ups and stretches "at least four time a week and have abs like Janet Jackson by August.'" Things didn't quite go according to plan, though. "To this day, the only time I used that mat was to sit on it when I had no furniture during the first week in my apartment," confesses Kristen. Melissa of Philadelphia joined the gym, thinking "'I'm sooo going to do this,' ... and then, no. I basically gave the gym my money."
Our experience shows that unrealistic optimism doesn't stop at exercise, either. We're particularly bad at predicting future behavior when it comes to health of any kind. While Rose of Tucson, Ariz., is on a tight budget, she tends to buy huge amounts of fruits and veggies that she knows she "should" eat. And what happens to the produce? "It ends up stuck in my fridge, uneaten and hairy with mold, needing a haircut more than me."
It doesn't just stop at health. Any kind of consumer activity can kick up the instinct. Jennifer of Brookline, Mass., bought a pair of $325 sky-high heels for her wedding, planning to wear them for the entire reception and show off their fabulousness to all her guests. She's already starting to predict that things will turn out a little different, though. "The reality is that those shoes will probably trip me while walking down the aisle and I'll take them off five minutes into the reception and switch to some white Havaianas."
Tell us: Have you ever seen unrealistic optimism at work in your life?
