The tendency to see things in a favorable light can also spell trouble for entrepreneurs, so much so that characters in the popular show Silicon Valley even mention it: "rose-tinted glasses syndrome" describes an individual's tendency to ignore or minimize the realities of problems that later become problems that threaten business.
The two main symptoms of the "syndrome" are generally considered to be:
Lack of communication between employees, customers and management leads to...
You can't deal with problems when they're small
Rose-tinted glasses syndrome is not an official diagnosis, of course, but rather a commonly used short finger to describe a person (or group of people) so excited about the possibilities that they ignore the dangers.
But there is rather strange evidence that there are benefits to not seeing red. At least for chickens.
In 1938, an article in Popular Mechanics recounted how a New Jersey prison had cracked a case of birds fighting chickens while wearing rose-colored sunglasses. Yes -- chicken. There are several young white-legged chickens fighting for their lives in the prison yard, and they become increasingly agitated when blood appears on their opponents.
After losing several chickens in such fights, the few that remain are outfitted with tiny aluminum frames with dark pink lenses mounted on the hinges. When the birds look down, the lenses in their faces come off so they can search for food as usual. But when they looked up, the red lenses fell into place. When the birds can no longer see the blood, the fighting stops.
Lasting fashion
Odd anecdotes aside, proper rose-colored glasses are a great fashion choice for almost everyone. They tend to be most popular in spring, starting with Valentine's Day in February.
Whether it's spring, summer, winter or fall, rose-colored glasses (best place to buy eyeglasses) are a great addition to any collection. So go out there and find yourself a pair. You never know, they might change your whole outlook on life. If not, you can try the empty glass trick!
