Today’s notes will encompass two very large concepts that affect our view of the future:

OptimismHope

Before you begin, write down what youbelieve these two wordsmean.

Optimism is: the belief that bad events are temporary, are not your own fault, and are confined to the present circumstances only. (meaning: an optimistic person would see

that you locked your keys in your car because in this instance other thoughts were occupying your focus and not that you are a dumb person that always screws up)

People generally explain bad events in three ways: Permanence, Pervasiveness, and Personalization.Optimistic people generally avoid these

(usually incorrect) explanations. Pessimists, the opposite of an optimist, usually employ them.

PermanenceA pessimistic belief that bad events that

happen will always be there to affect life. The Optimist Says: bad events are

temporary; good events affect us long term.

PervasivenessPessimistic belief that failing in one area

translates to all other areas of life. The Optimist Says: bad events are

specific to one situation, not universal. (meaning just because you got dumped doesn’t mean you failed at everything else in life).

PersonalizationPessimistic belief that bad events are your

own fault rather than due to random circumstances. The Optimist Says: bad events are

random/not your fault. Good events are due to your own strengths/not random.

Seligman (1998) warned that while optimism is necessary to a healthy positive attitude, too much optimism can erode your sense of responsibility. A person needs to find a balance in awareness between what they is their fault and what is just bad luck.

There are two techniques in overcoming pessimism:DistractionDisputation

Optimist Pessimist Realist

Distraction:Definition: trying to think of something

other than the pessimistic belief. This technique works best when action

needs to be immediate and having negative thoughts can be destructive. Example: a cop in a dangerous situation may

think “I could be shot”. They could use distraction to erase this pessimistic thought so that they are more focused on their task.

Disputation: Definition: arguing with yourself about a

pessimistic belief or thought. Four ways to do this:

Distancing – what if someone else was having this thought, what would you say to them?

Evidence – check to see if there is some way to disprove the thought.

Alternatives – Usually pessimists see the most harmful/defeating reason for a situation. Ask yourself if there is any other reason this could have occurred.

Decatastrophizing – Pessimists think situations are “the end of the world”. Realizing this is not the case can really help ease the situation.

The overall perception that your goals can be met.

Hope has 3 necessary ingredients:Goal-oriented thoughtsA pathway to being able to achieve goalsAgency thoughts

Goal-Oriented ThoughtsAll nonrandom behaviors are directed by

some goalGoals need to hold sufficient value so that

we think about them oftenGoals should be attainable, but uncertain.

Goals that are 100% likely to be achieved do not contribute to a person’s hope.

Pathways to AchievementTo achieve goals, people need plausible

routes to achieving them. Singular or multiple pathways may need to be

created. People with the highest level of hope tend to

generate multiple pathways in order to combat unforeseen obstacles.

Agency ThoughtsAgency refers to our ability to act in the

world (that we have to ability to control our lives).

People need to believe that they can initiate and sustain the pathways to goal achievement.

This is where a mentor or motivational person comes into play.

In studies, hope has been linked to higher academic and athletic performance, better adjustment, and better coping with health issues.

People with higher levels of hope:Have higher SAT and GPA scoresRemember positive comments moreFeel motivated, not demoralized, by

challengesHave higher feelings of self-worthPerceived less pain in medical situations

Now, compare the information in the notes that you just took and what you wrote down before starting. Answer: Were you correct in your pre-notes definitions? Did anything in the notes surprise you? Was there anything you thought was total junk? While taking the notes, did you remember any

situations where you took a pessimistic stance? What happened, and how could you have reacted differently?

What questions do you still have about the subjects covered, or, what would you like to talk about in the next class?