Learned Optimism

I'm fascinated by how some people grow and change while others wither. Churches and businesses, too. What makes some cultures ripe for growth while others stagnate? In church circles, growth and death are often blamed on the leader. If only he or she was more ... then we would grow. Leaders blame it on the congregation. If only they could ... then we would grow.

In the book Learned Optimism, positive psychologist Martin Seligman links the ability to make changes to a explanatory style. People with a negatie explanatory style have difficulty making changes. A person with a negative explanatory style sees a bad event as personal (all about me), permanent (will never change), and pervasive (affects everything). Here's what he says about permanence:

"If you believe the cause of your mess is permanent--stupidity, lack of talent, ugliness--you will not act to change it. You will not act to improve yourself. If, however, you believe the cause is temporary--a bad mood, too little effort, overweight--you can act to change it. ... People must have a temporary style for bad events--they must believe that whatever the cause of the bad event, it can be changed." (p. 52)

As Seligman suggests, there is another way to explain bad events: as external (not my fault), temporary (a passing thing), and specific (limited to this event). People who explain bad events in this way tend to be able to shake off the dust from their feet and move on to things that work.

Reading Seligman's book got me to thinking about the church and leadership. I wonder how a community can change when its words are something like:
We have always done it this way. (permanent)
No one wants that. (pervasive)
The synod has never liked us. (permanent and personal)

Of course there's another factor: how do we explain the good things in our life? Seligman and other positive psychologists suggest that people do well when they see good events as permanent, pervasive, and personal. We don't do so well when we see the good things as external, temporary, and specific.

Take Seligman's ideas and apply them to yourself. How does the way you explain the "changes and chances of life"—both the good and the bad—affect your ability to move forward? You can ask the same question of your work culture or the church you attend.

The good news: we can change our explanatory style. Check out Seligman's book for some ideas on how to do that. Think about how leaders can shift the explanatory style of a company or a congregation. Is it possible?

Comments

[Beth Hoffmann]

Thanks for sharing ideas about looking at things differently. My work includes serving young people. Sometimes I hear God's name used in non-reverent ways, and I have a couple of standard responses: "My God is a very present help in trouble. Is that the God you're talking about?" or "I'm not nearly big enough to be your God." Sometimes I get silence, sometimes I hear a chuckle and/or an apology, but usually I sense a difference, at least momentarily, and I'm grateful for ideas that help me get past just fuming.
Blessings to you in your ministry.

[Carol Gerrish]

Whoaa, Rochelle ... my husband suggested you write about my personal, permanent, pervasive negativity, didn't he??!!

While I'm confident we can change our explanatory styles, I don't expect it to be an overnight, one-shot miracle. It takes trying out the new way again and again.

I'm reminded that Jesus worked long and hard to shift the perspectives of his disciples. He challenged them, encouraged them, taught them, supported them, forgave them ... again and again ... until they were sent out two by two.

Shifting the explanatory style of a workplace or congregation? My guess is that leaders who are also engaged in an intentional process of teaching, modeling, mentoring, and coaching will have greatest success.