Learned Optimism: An Analysis

In the words of Winston Churchill, "The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." When we are optimistic that we can get a job done, or that we can find a cure for a disease, we are more motivated, and we work harder. A scientist who is pessimistic that they will never find a cure for a specific disease will have a mental mind block against finding a cure for a disease, making it considerably harder for them to find a cure. However, a scientist who is optimistic about finding a cure for a disease will be motivated and more focused on their dedication to discovering a cure for a disease such as cancer. When you are optimistic, you are more motivated, and when you are motivated, you are more productive, consequently making optimism a particularly important priority in everyday

In the same way that hope has colored the past, optimism and positive thinking has the ability to affect present situations. When enduring struggles or facing fears, hope can provide feelings of comfort. It can be used as a coping mechanism. Maya Angelou relates a tone of satisfaction when she weighs the conditions of her life

Just as on the title, Candide, or Optimism, Optimism is also used as a major theme. Voltaire's satire of philosophical optimism is one of the major issues of Candide. Throughout the story, satirical references to "the best of all possible worlds" contrast with natural catastrophes and human wrongdoing. According to Wikipedia, "optimism, the opposite of pessimism, is a lifeview where the world is looked upon the as a positive place. Optimists generally believe that people are inherently good. These people are said to have a "positive" outlook on life, believing that given time, things will work out in the end." Also according to Wikipedia, "In philosophy, optimism is linked with the name of Gottfried

To begin, being either optimistic or pessimistic can impact an individuals circumstances. Optimism provides a more upbeat view regarding circumstances prevailing around an individual. Optimism allows for the individual to adequately adjust and alter their thoughts in an effort to achieve a desired result. For instance, failure will undoubtedly occur in an individual's life. A job interview that didn't go well, a presentation that lacked key information, or a test that was failed all provides learning experiences for the optimistic individual. One who is pessimistic simply takes that end result as it is, with no further action. An optimist however, uses this information to alter their approach when attempting the feat again. This key difference in mindset or thought processes is what allows for the

For many, pessimism is not ideal, and optimism is their route of choice, as it develops through the arising

This Ted Talk is about optimism bias which is the tendency to think more positively about a person’s life than to think negatively. We have these high expectations that good things would happen than bad ones. It is a positive bias towards an event before the event actually happens. The optimism bias is a naturally occurring phenomenon that seems to become part of human nature because it is an overall tendency to bring upon good things in life over a pessimistic bias (Sharot, 2011).

In the article “The Optimism of Uncertainty”, the author, Howard Zinn, has shown his idea that overwhelming powers are not invincible as they look like. He reinforced his opinion by showing that throughout our history those unbeatable forces still have been beaten one-by-one by human beings. A key to victory was that people did not give up, remained their optimistic attitude toward to the future. The article was first come from his book “A Power Governments Cannot Suppress”. However, his idea “hope”, which is an indispensable element of optimism, still answers the question “If our world is facing an imminent environmental catastrophe, how do I live my life right now?” Howard believed “small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” Therefore, in

Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life, by Martin E. P. Seligman, discussed how optimism can be achieved through time and positive thoughts. In some ways, he believes optimism and pessimism, also known as helplessness, are learned behaviors that can dictate your choices and the direction of your life. He wrote this book in hopes of teaching ways to become less helpless, or to learn ways to think more positively therefore living a better, more productive life.

What is optimism? Optimism is reaching deep down and finding the confidence and hopefulness in yourself to overcome whatever may be holding your back. Challenges are constantly being thrusted into one’s life, and the difficulty of them is what makes us strive to get through it. Whether the challenge be big or small, there is always something to look forward to in life.

hardship, and being optimistic during that hardship. A person’s view of the world can affect how

By skipping the time spent on wallowing in sadness and put on a positive attitude instead, I can effectively breeze through challenging situations with a calm mind that is constantly generating a variety of solutions. Although this optimism cannot necessarily be applied to tests, I discovered it is incredibly useful in situations of extreme volatility, especially in managing club fundraisers.

Being optimistic is the main principle for most people. We may often hear the statement about “be an optimist, not a pessimist!” shouted by people. Sometimes you do it for yourself too. When facing such a failure or problem, this will not only help to relieve your heart. Being optimistic will help someone to be healthy in physical and mental. An optimist will find the best way in any circumstance and hope for every good thing can come to him/her. You may have gone through thousands of hard times. However, if you are a born optimist then you will not care of anything destructing you.

Optimism is another trait or attribute displayed by Type Bs, Cs, and hardy personalities (see below). Optimists are more inclined to appraise situations as challenging, whereas Type A personalities will appraise the same situation as a threat. Optimists tend to focus on what they can do to change or improve a stressful situation, rather than what they are unable to do. They are content in what they do accomplish, and do not focus on their failures (Schafer, 2000; Morris & Maisto, 2005).

“Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier (Oren, 1996).” Optimism has played a major role throughout my career. Optimism has gotten me through some very tough times. I don’t know where I would be without being optimistic. My way of thinking caused those around me to think and act the same way. During times of duress such as conducting field training exercises, my Soldiers notice when I think about the better things to get us through it. There has been several times when missions has caused a higher stress level than normal. As leaders we have to find ways to get out of difficult times. Instead of complaining I always try to find ways think about the outcome of the situation. I always think how the situation could always be worst. When I let those around me “the situation can always be worst”, they always tend to agree with me. I look forward to the challenging times because the challenging times make us stronger. Optimism also pertains to life outside the Army. I’m a true believer in looking at things in a positive way. Every time I am put in situations where the odds may be against me, optimism is my best friend. Optimism never seems to fail me. With my optimism comes others to perform better and look at things a different way. I can truly say my life is surrounded with optimism. Everything that comes up usually causes me to be optimistic.

Optimistic and pessimistic attitudes constantly affect the outcome of people's lives. In my life, I try to keep an optimistic attitude about the things I do because I know it will help lead me to more desirable ends. There have been many situations in which optimism has helped me through difficult times. Two areas in particular have provided me optimistic experiences: athletics