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As described by Martin Seligman in his book “Learned Optimism” the costs of pessimism include:

• Pessimism promotes depression.
• Pessimism produces inertia rather than activity in the face of setbacks.
• Pessimism feels bad subjectively.
• Pessimism is self-fulfilling. Pessimists don’t persist in the face of challenges, and therefore fail more frequently - even when success is attainable.
• Pessimism is associated with poor physical health.

Optimism and pessimism towards life is a daily decision we all need to make. Given the high costs of pessimism I think the choice is clear!

Technorati Tags: Personal Leadership, Pessimism, Learned Helplessness, Optimism, Book

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