Optimistically learning optimism.

The word "optimism" intrigues my curiosity faculties and I wonder where do I belong?? Do I belong in the optimists lot or the anti-optimists(pessimist) lot ?? I try and think of situations and my reactions to them, which would help me to conclude on the point. But they seem to worsen the problem in hand. Instead of helping me figure out which club do I belong in, they seem to tear me between the two extremities of optimism and pessimism. But the question is what do I advocate??? Hmmm either this or that??

Audience poll!!! :P  Looks like most of them believe optimism is the way to go:)) Okay, positive should be the outlook but what would lead me there??

The supposed answer is "Learned Optimism", proposed by Dr.Martin Selignman, the father of Positive Psychology.

Learned optimism is the idea in positive psychology that a talent for joy, like any other, can be cultivated. Learning optimism is done by consciously challenging any negative self talk. So, pessimist or and moderately optimistic person can learn optimism through the following ABCDE of Learned Optimism as proposed by Dr.Selignman.

ABCDE of Learned Optimism:

A->Adversity: This is an event that occurs. Eg: You fall sick on the day of your exam.

B->Belief: How you interpret the event. Eg: How unfair!! All my effort went in vain :(

C->Consequence: How you react based on your beliefs. Eg: My grades are ruined. It won’t help even if I do the papers well.

Keep a journal of such adversities, beliefs and consequences for some time. Then move on to the D & E of learned optimism after studying your behavior patterns.

D->Disputation: Now combat the negative thought with a positive one. Eg: I will make up my grades in other papers. It is reasonably good considering the situation.

E->Energisation: Now its celebration time, as you have successfully learned to lessen the burden of guilt on your shoulders with learned optimism.

And, if the term learned optimism sounds funny, I would like to quote Alvin Toffler who famously said, “The illiterate of the 21st century, will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." So, let us be literates and lets learn, unlearn and relearn with optimism.