Succeed Ch. 11

Question 1

optimism

Answer 1

the belief that things are going to work out well for you

Question 2

optimism & goal achievement

Answer 2

Most life challenges improve with the presence of a positive outlook

Question 3

optimists and relationships

Answer 3

• Optimists have better romantic relationships
• They are more likely to work through problems with their partner without resorting to attacking and blaming, resulting in greater happiness and fulfillment over time

Question 4

how can you use goal-setting to maximize your happiness?

Answer 4

you should devote more time and energy to the more important goals, sacrificing the lesser ones when necessary

Question 5

how do optimists prioritize goals?

Answer 5

they devote more time and energy to important goals, which might be why they are happier

Question 6

optimists and positive information

Answer 6

Optimists are more sensitive to positive information in their environment

Question 7

downsides of being an optimist

Answer 7

• Less likely to think through all of the possible outcomes of one’s actions
• Less likely to adequately prepare
• More likely to engage in risky behaviour

Question 8

wagering and optimism study

Answer 8

people are likely to increase wagers after a string of optimism, which is the opposite for pessimists

Question 9

counterfactual thinking

Answer 9

thinking in what-if terms

Question 10

counterfactual thinking of optimists vs. pessimists

Answer 10

• Pessimists think about how they could have succeeded if they had done things differently, which is useful for future performance
• Optimists think about how they could have messed up even more, which isn’t useful (it serves to make you feel better about failing)

Question 11

unrealistic optimism

Answer 11

a total unwillingness to look at the objective facts of reality in the face

Question 12

when is unrealistic optimism most often seen?

Answer 12

in cases of controllable events, rare events, or relatively benign occurrences

Question 13

Lake Woebegon effect

Answer 13

we all think we are above average in our abilities

Question 14

Realistic optimism

Answer 14

occurs when you believe you can exert some control over whether you succeed or fail, by putting in the necessary effort, making plans, and finding the right strategies

Question 15

is realistic optimism beneficial?

Answer 15

yes, it’s empowering and motivating

Question 16

attributional retraining

Answer 16

retraining the explanations we come up with for our successes and failures

Question 17

when is optimism a bad idea?

Answer 17

when you are pursuing prevention goals

Question 18

You can increase realistic optimism by:

Answer 18

• Using attributional retraining to focus less on ability
• Reflecting on your past successes
• Use if-then planning
• Visualize the steps you will take to achieve success, not the success itself