How to Make a Difference: Part 1
Summary
Psychologist Martin Seligman discusses the origins of learned helplessness and how interpreting setbacks as temporary rather than permanent fosters resilience. He explains how this concept evolved into a model for depression and highlights research showing that optimistic explanatory styles predict success in high-pressure environments like West Point and sales. Seligman also explores the historical emergence of human agency, arguing that the belief in individual control drove innovation during the Axial Age. The episode concludes with his personal journey toward greater optimism and agency.
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