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All 16 learnings · one per slide
Learned
Optimism
Martin E. P. Seligman, in bytes
16 key learnings on how to change your mind and your life by changing how you explain events.
16 learnings · ~40 sec eachSwipe →
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Learned Optimism, in bytes
16 key learnings from Martin Seligman's research on learned helplessness, explanatory style and how to learn optimism. Each takes about 40 seconds to read. Swipe, use the arrows, or your keyboard.
Learned
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Learning 1
Learned Helplessness
The study
Seligman found dogs exposed to shocks they couldn't control later stopped trying to escape, even when they could.
The lesson
Helplessness can be learned.
Takeaway
If it's learned, it can be unlearned.
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Learning 2
Not Everyone Gives Up
The finding
Some animals and people never became helpless. Their way of explaining setbacks protected them.
The lesson
Explanatory style makes the difference.
Takeaway
How you explain events matters.
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Learning 3
Explanatory Style
The idea
Explanatory style is how you habitually explain why things happen to you.
Three dimensions
Permanence, pervasiveness and personalisation.
Takeaway
Your explanations shape your resilience.
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Learning 4
Permanence
The idea
Pessimists see bad events as permanent ('always'); optimists see them as temporary ('sometimes').
Example
'You never listen' versus 'You didn't listen today'.
Try this
Replace 'always' and 'never' with 'this time'.
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Learning 5
Pervasiveness
The idea
Pessimists let one failure spread to everything; optimists keep it contained.
Example
'I'm bad at everything' versus 'I'm bad at this test'.
Takeaway
Contain failures to their domain.
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Learning 6
Personalisation
The idea
Pessimists blame themselves for everything; optimists consider other causes.
Example
'I'm stupid' versus 'The test was hard'.
Worth noting
Optimism doesn't mean dodging responsibility.
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Learning 7
Pessimism and Depression
The idea
A pessimistic explanatory style is a risk factor for depression.
Example
Seeing setbacks as permanent and personal.
Takeaway
Changing thinking can protect mental health.
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Learning 8
Optimists Sell More
The study
At Metropolitan Life, salespeople who scored high on optimism sold more and stayed longer.
Result
MetLife hired a special group of optimists who'd failed the standard test; they outsold many others.
Takeaway
Optimism predicts persistence.
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Learning 9
Sports and Optimism
The study
Seligman analysed teams' explanatory styles and found optimistic teams performed better after losses.
Example
Teams bouncing back after defeats.
Takeaway
Optimism helps recovery.
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Learning 10
Health
The idea
Optimists tend to have better health and immune responses, Seligman argues.
Example
Optimists take better care of themselves.
Worth noting
Correlation doesn't prove optimism causes good health.
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Learning 11
The ABC Model
The idea
Adversity leads to Beliefs, which lead to Consequences.
Example
A friend doesn't call back (A); 'They don't like me' (B); you feel low (C).
Try this
Record ABCs for a week.
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Learning 12
Disputation
The idea
Argue with your pessimistic beliefs as you would with an unfair critic.
Questions
What's the evidence? What are alternatives? What are the implications? Is it useful?
Try this
Dispute one negative belief today.
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Learning 13
Distraction
The idea
Distraction can stop rumination in the moment.
Example
Snapping attention elsewhere, then scheduling time to think later.
Takeaway
Interrupt the spiral.
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Learning 14
Energisation
The idea
After disputing a belief, notice the energy and better mood that follow.
Example
Feeling relief after reframing a setback.
Takeaway
ABCDE completes the process.
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Learning 15
Flexible Optimism
The idea
Pessimism has value in some situations, like assessing risks.
Example
A pilot or financial controller needs realism.
Takeaway
Use optimism when it helps, realism when it matters.
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Learning 16
Optimistic Children
The idea
Children learn explanatory styles from parents and teachers.
Example
Criticising effort rather than character.
Try this
Model optimistic explanations for children.
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All 16 learnings complete
That’s all 16 learnings.
How you explain setbacks shapes what you do next. Is your explanation permanent, pervasive and personal?
Abhay Kumar JaiswalFCA · PMP® · Workday Financeabhayjaiswal.com
Summaries in my own words. Read the book for the full stories.
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Summaries are written in my own words for learning. Read Learned Optimism by Martin E. P. Seligman (1990) for the full stories. More Books in Bytes