Future Bias
People’s views of their pasts and futures are qualitatively different. They give their pasts mixed reviews, whereas they view their futures as unequivocally positive. ~ Canadian psychologists Michael Ross & Ian Newby-Clark
Hindsight bias has a mirror image, also constructed for psychological buoyancy; but there is an asymmetric distortion: whereas the past is sullied by what was, the future is unfiltered. Feeling the sunshine of optimism is common: hence the phrase “looking forward” has an intrinsic luminance.
The future’s so bright I gotta wear shades. ~ American musician Pat MacDonald in the song of the same name (1986)
