Learned Optimism

This series of articles is brought to you by Optimal Modification, Inc. (also known as OMI). The founder of OMI, Dr. Thom Rogers, is a pioneer in the field of aligning businesses (and all their aspects) to the quantum field, so that these businesses may experience their full potential.

Learned Optimism / Why it's important to see the glass half-full...

What does becoming aligned have to do with optimism? If you have looked through this site carefully you know there is much more to creating a successful business then what you can see, hear and feel. In fact business smarts and even having money to invest will do you little good if you don't have a positive frame of mind. And this mind frame has a lot to do with optimism... learned optimism.

Learned Optimism / A Little Bit of History


History books abound with people who, even in the face of great adversity, chose to forge ahead instead of simply retreating. Mao Zedong, Karl Marx, Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, Helen Keller, and even Jesus of Nazareth believed that the world was inherently a positive place, and that setbacks were merely temporary distractions that delayed—not permanently hindered—success. These people mastered the art of learned optimism.

What is Learned Optimism?

Optimism is defined as the ability to maintain a positive outlook and hold the belief that things will work out in the end. While pessimists believe that setbacks are permanent, optimists dismiss them as merely temporary.

A learned optimistic paradigm presupposes that optimism, like helplessness, is a learned or conditioned response. Since childhood, several figures—often the ones we look up to—have influenced the way we view frustrations and life in general.

Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman, author of the book, Learned Optimism, says, "children are natural optimists, and they only start to hear and believe the word “can’t” when they reach puberty." This could be the
reason why more students become depressed when they enter the later middle school years.

Dr. Seligman / A Theory

In Learned Optimism, Dr. Seligman advances the "Explanatory Theory of Success," and cites the following three factors that determine a learned optimistic paradigm:

1. Optimism is acquired from our mothers.
The way our own mother reacted to problems set the stage for our own reaction to difficult situations. If our mother dealt with everyday problems with a bright and hopeful outlook, we as children learn to do the same way.

2. Optimism is influenced by adults around us.
The way adults such as teachers and parents chastise us can leave a lasting impression on how we perceive our own abilities. Being constantly told “You’re not good in math,” or “You’re spelling and grammar is very bad,” for example, tend to undermine our self-esteem as we grow up.

3. Optimism is shaped by family turmoil.
Crises, whether family or personal, that happen during childhood such as parents’ divorce, or a tragic death of a family member, can contribute to a child’s depression which will affect the way he views life in general in later life.

According to Dr. Seligman’s theory of learned optimism, optimistic children grow up to be optimistic teenagers and adults. Optimism presents evidence that most cases of depression are in fact a result of habitual patterns of thought rather than biochemical or psychoanalytical in nature. “How you think, how you feel” is another way to explain this phenomenon.

Learned Optimism / Conclusion

No matter what technique you choose to attain your own brand of optimism, Thom Rogers of Optimal Modification Inc. (OMI) is in a unique position to help. Not only will you be less affected by life's daily personal stresses, you will be in an optimal position to attain prosperity in your working life as well.

Want more information on both personal and business success and what it takes to get there? Then we recommend learning more about OMI.

Thank you for visiting the “Learned Optimism” page. To find out more about OMI & Dr. Thom Rogers’ work, and learn more about this fascinating way to optimize your business, go to OptimalModification.com.