We have read Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman in our English class this semester, our task is to address Seligman’s rules for being successful and deciding whether or not we agree with his argument. Although I have not read the whole book, we were assigned to read chapters 1, 2, 3, and 12 and by that I was supplied with enough information to construct my own opinion on his claims. Martin Seligman argues that learning to be optimistic can change your way of life and empower yourself through non-negative thinking and I agree because after reviewing everything that I’ve been though these past 5 years, I found that having a positive mindset has got me though some of the hardest times in my life.
Summary:
In Learned Optimism, Martin Seligman argues that how you explain events to yourself after they happen has a huge impact on your life. In chapter one, Seligman defines two different type of people, pessimists – people who believe in bad events are their own fault and the consequences of the event will last a long time and optimists – people who believe bad events are only temporary, the events are not their fault and can either be caused by bad luck or other people. He goes on to explain that after 25 years of research, he is sure that if we believe bad events are our fault, more of it will befall on us and that the point of his book is to teach us how to recognize out pessimistic tendencies, stop them, and practice an optimistic lifestyle. He believes that because of the negativity that surrounds a pessimist, they will be more likely to become sick, depressed, and less likely to accomplish their goals. He provides the example of a young woman he knew who was set up by her jealous mentor to be accused by the examining committee for plagiarism. The woman was so upset by the incident that she didn’t try to fight the accusation even through both parties knew she was