The optimistic style for good events is the
opposite of the optimistic style for bad events.
Temporary (Pessimistic)/ Permanent
(Optimistic)
My lucky day vs. I’m always
lucky.
I try hard vs. I’m talented.
My rival got tired vs. My rival is no
good.
Pessimism leaves us feeling very helpless
whereas Optimism lets us know that it will pass and that we can do something to
make it a bit better now by addressing it in the moment.
2. Pervasiveness
Permanence is about time. Pervasiveness is
about space. In pessimistic styles, when a problem occurs, the person
catastropizes. He or she makes a universal explanation. When a failure
strikes in one area, it applies to all areas of their life.
Universal (Pessimism) vs. Specific
(Optimism)
All teachers are unfair vs. Professor
Seligman is unfair.
I’m repulsive vs. I’m repulsive to
him.
Books are useless vs. This book is
useless.
And for the good events:
Specific (Pessimism) Universal
(Optimism)
I’m smart at math vs. I’m smart.
My broker knows oil stocks vs. My broker
knows Wall Street.
I was charming to her vs. I was
charming.
The above examples have been taken from Dr.
Martin Seligman’s book Authentic Happiness on pp. 88-91. He has created
an excellent assessment tool to test your own optimism which is published on p.
84 of his book or you can access at his website at www.authentichappiness.org. You
will find it in the left-hand column.
I am a dyed in the wool pessimist. The
application of Dr. Martin Seligman’s work on optimism, strengths and positive
emotions have changed the quality of my life. I experience more positive
emotions now on a consistent basis, am grateful for the things I have, focus on
the positive things in my life now and can see the bright side of challenging
situations. It has allowed me to act to make things better vs. give up and feel
hopeless, helpless and depressed. Hey, if I can change, so can you.
2. Did you
know? From the research
The Broaden and Build Theory
...it took Barbara
Fredrickson, an associate professor at the University of Michigan, to convince
my head (Dr. Seligman speaking) that positive emotion has a profound
purpose far beyond the delightful way it makes us feel.
Fredrickson claims that positive emotions
have a grand purpose in evolution. They broaden our abiding intellectual,
physical, and social resources, buidling up reserves we can draw upon when a
threat or opportunity presents itself. When we are in a positive mood, people
like us better, and friendship, love, and coalitions are more likely to cement.
In contrast to the constrictions of negative emotion, our mental set is
expansive, tolerant, and creative. We are open to new ideas and new
experience.
- from p. 35 of Authentic
Happiness by Dr. Martin Seligman
- to read more about Barbara Fredrickson's
interesting work which won her the Templeton Positive Psychology Prize of
$100,000, see the attached article from American Scientist.
3. Quote - Optimism
from the spiritual writings
He urges you to
persevere and add up your accomplishments, rather than to dwell on the dark side
of things. Everyone's life has both a dark and bright side. The Master said:
turn your back to the darkness and your face to Me.
(Shoghi Effendi, The Unfolding
Destiny of the British Baha'i Community, p. 457)
4. Action step for
you
Try this: Take the optimism test at www.authentichappiness.org and apply one element of
that new thinking in your life in the next 24 hours. Jot down a few observations
in your notebook as a result of how you feel from thinking differently. Sounds
simple, but it can have a huge impact in the quality of your life and your
emotional resilience during setbacks. Go for it! And remember the gratitude
exercise from the premier issue: think of three things you are grateful for
today. If you can think of more, go for it. Make it a daily habit to think of
things for which you are grateful. Try it when you are grumpy. It is more
difficult but doable. See if it doesn't shift you to a more positive state of
mind.
Until next time
Regards to all of you
Johanna Vanderpol
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THE five minute EMOTIONAL
INTELLIGENCE (EI) NEWSLETTER - by Johanna Vanderpol