LEARNED OPTIMISM

Martin E. P. Seligman

Knopf, 1990

Martin Seligman, a renowned psychologist and clinical researcher, has been studying optimists and pessimists for 25 years. Pessimists believe that bad events are their fault, will last a long time, and undermine everything. They feel helpless and may sink into depression. Optimists believe that defeat is a temporary setback or a challenge -- it doesn't knock them down. 'Pessimism is escapable,' asserts Seligman, by learning a new set of cognitive skills that will enable you to take charge, resist depression, and make yourself feel better and accomplish more. The book describes in explanatory style how you habitually explain to yourself why events happen and how it effects your success, health, and quality of life. Seligman supports his points with animal research and human cases. He includes tests for readers and their children, whose achievement may be related more to level of optimism/pessimism than ability. The final chapters teach the skills of changing from pessimism to optimism.