From Pessimist to Optimist: A Psychological Model for Leading a Fulfilled Life
From his early studies on learned helplessness, Martin Seligman offers us a model for redefining our concept of self.
I’ve always been interested in having a go, taking a punt on an idea regardless of potential negative outcomes. The shit might hit the fan, my ego might be hurt, and I may need some time out of the game, but I’ll eventually get back in.
That’s not to say that reckless abandonment of care for oneself or others is a good idea — on the contrary. But neither does it mean we should avoid taking a chance. It appears to be about finding a balance between perceptions of success and failure, of optimism and pessimism.
Perhaps contrary to popular belief, optimism and pessimism are not fixed traits of personality. We’re not born pessimists or optimists. These concepts shift and change, are strong or weak depending on the situation, and we build them through life experience. You could say that we have a propensity for one or the other depending on a host of influencing factors. And most importantly, these concepts of ourselves and the world in which we live can change through intervention.
In all human endeavours, we’ve got to be…
