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Can you learn to be optimistic?

Optimism is a vital ingredient in mental health. In recent times, it has also become a focus in helping people recover from depression. DR BRUCE STEVENS believes you can learn to be optimistic.

Life tends to deal out different cards to everyone. Optimists tend to be more persistent and can achieve in spite of difficulties. Pessimists tend to give up more easily. The good news is that pessimists can change their attitudes.

In his book Learned Optimism, American psychologist Martin Seligman contrasts the difference between pessimists and optimists as thus: pessimists tend to believe bad events last a long time, will undermine all they do and are their own fault, while optimists tend to believe that defeat is a temporary setback, causes are confined to this one case, and that it is not their fault.

Seligman has devised a strategy he calls the ABC's. When an adverse situation is encountered, it is natural to think about it. This leads to a Belief. What follows are Consequences.

For example, Gary dropped the ball at a practice session for touch football. The coach shouted "Butterfingers!" and Gary felt humiliated.

On the way home, he thought about what happened. He came to the conclusion that he was too old for the sport and was a liability to the team. So the next day, he wrote to the coach and offered his resignation.

The situation had adversely (dropping the ball and the reprimand from the coach), Beliefs (too old and played badly), Consequences (he resigned from the team).

While this incident was unpleasant, does it lead to resignation as being the only solution? What do you think?

Options for Optimism

You may consider a number of options. Many people try distraction as a way out from the thoughts spinning around in their head. However, Seligman advocates a process of disputation. This can be done by a process of mental debating which covers such things as:

  1. Evidence about whether the factual belief can be shown to be incorrect.
  2. Gary thought about whether he really was too old: "I am 35, but there are players in my league who are in their 40s. I havent been playing poorly in fact, I scored 12 tries last season which was the second-most on our team."
  3. Looking for alternative explanations.
  4. There are usually many reasons why something happened. Pessimists have a way of latching onto the worst of all possible explanations - the most permanent, pervasive, and personal one.
  5. Consider the implications.
  6. While the situation may be grim, it need not be catastrophic. The loss of a battle is not the same as losing the war. Pessimists tend to magnify the negative; however, you can consider the bigger picture. Ask others how they see the situation.
  7. What is the usefulness of a belief?

Sometimes it is simply not to any great advantage to hold to a belief. The world is not fair, and to some degree it is a waste of energy to rail against this in righteous indignation. It is better to see what can be changed and then make that the focus of efforts in the future.

Flexible Optimism

Finally, there can be some benefits in being negative. Can the strengths of pessimism be retained? Seligman argues for flexible optimism. This allows the more naturally negative person to be realistic when appropriate and yet draw on the strengths of learned optimism.

Even the natural optimist can "try out pessimism" to carefully consider a situation when "fools might rush in."

When there is an important decision to be made, you might try alternate optimistic and pessimistic days until the decision is made. This is a more flexible approach and may help you decide in a more realistic way.

There is a strong link between pessimism and depression. However, if you are vulnerable to depression, there is hope. Optimism can be learned, but at a cost it is hard work. Seligmans ABC's can lead to a very different experience of life.

Are You Optimistic? Try This Checklist

  1. I tend to see the positive side in most things.
  2. I can look back on a happy childhood.
  3. When I plan a new activity, I rarely see any disastrous consequences.
  4. My friends describe me as having a lot of energy.
  5. I wake up anticipating every new day.
  6. I usually find that I think more about opportunities than obstacles.
  7. I rarely regret past actions.
  8. I cannot remember the last time I felt depressed.
  9. I think I have a lot to offer.
  10. I believe that most people mean well.

If you have said yes to six or more of these items, then you are an optimistic person. If you have said yes to less than four items, there is hope that you can learn to be optimistic.

Review date: 04-01-2010