The idea
Optimism has impact on achievement and health, AND can be cultivated.
Our insights
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Pessimism comes from feeling helpless (problem = permanent, pervasive, own fault)
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Optimism leads to enhanced achievement and health; Pessimism leads to enhanced objectivity
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In order to change negative thinking: A (adversity); B (beliefs); C (consequence); D (disputation or distraction); E (energisation)
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Disputation concerns evidence of alternatives to observations, their origin, their consequence
Extracts
- “Teaching children learned optimism before puberty, but late enough in childhood so that they are metacognitive, is a fruitful strategy.”
- “What is crucial is what you think when you fail, using the power of ‘non-negative thinking’.”
- “Success will not necessarily go to the most talented. The prize will go to the adequately talented who are also optimists.”
- “… wealth at age twenty does not guarantee health or success.”
- “… health at age sixty was strongly related to optimism at age twenty-five.”
- “Becoming an optimist consists not of learning to be more selfish and self-assertive, and to present yourself to others in overbearing ways, but simply of learning a set of skills about how to talk to YOURSELF when you suffer a personal defeat.”
Don’t hesitate to contact us if you want guidance in Optimism or explore our Positive Expert-Area.
You can find Learned Optimism on amazon and other online bookstores. Click on the image to shop:
TITLE: Learned Optimism
AUTHOR: Martin E.P. Seligman
American psychologist, author of self help books, at basis of theory of ‘learned helplessness’.
Other books include The Optimistic Child, Authentic Happiness, and Flourish.
PUBLISHER: Vintage Books USA; Reprint edition (1 Jan. 2006)
Our scores
Content: 4/5
Style: 4/5
Usability: 4/5