Explanatory Style
Years of research led Seligman to conclude that each of us has a characteristic approach to making sense of our problems, stressors, challenges, or setbacks—How you explain the good and bad things that happen to you. Seligman calls this your explanatory style, and it makes all the difference between an optimist with resiliency in the face of challenges, and a pessimist who crumbles under the pressures of life.
In his book, Learned Optimism, Seligman suggests there are three elements to explanatory style:
1. Permanence (How long will this last?)
Permanence is about time. Optimists believe bad events are only temporary. A single failure doesn’t mean future failure—maybe there was a reason it went poorly this time, but it won’t always be like that. Pessimists, on the other hand, tend to believe bad events will last forever. As a result, they dwell on the failure and assume it will keep happening because the causes are permanent. Interestingly, the reverse is true for how each group sees good events. Optimists attribute good events to lasting causes, while pessimists view them as fleeting or situational.
Bad Events
Optimistic (temporary): Pessimistic (permanent):
“My supervisor is in a bad mood” “My supervisor is a jerk”
Good Events
Optimistic (permanent): Pessimistic (temporary):
“I’m talented” “I tried hard today”
2. Pervasiveness (How much of my life does this affect?)
Pervasiveness is about space. Optimists are able to compartmentalize. When something bad happens, they can keep it from spilling over into other areas of life. Pessimists, however, tend to catastrophize. A bad experience in one domain—say, a relationship—bleeds into their work, health, or self-worth. The same contrast applies to good events: optimists see them as reflecting a broad pattern of success, while pessimists think good things happen in only specific cases.
Bad Events
Optimistic (specific): Pessimistic (universal):
“This kid is annoying” “Kids are annoying”
Good Events
Optimistic (universal): Pessimistic (specific):
“I’m smart” “I’m smart in math”
3. Personalization (Who or what caused this?)
Personalization is about who we hold responsible for the causes of events. When bad things happen, optimists tend to blame other people or circumstances (external), while pessimists usually blame themselves (internal). The opposite is true for good events. Optimists believe they cause good things while pessimists give credit to luck or other sources. As a result, optimists tend to like themselves more.
That said, Seligman warns that personalization can be taken too far. A person who habitually insists, “It’s not my fault and I am amazing” sounds more like an arrogant nightmare than an optimist. Healthy optimism requires taking appropriate responsibility for one’s actions. Nevertheless, particularly in cases of depression, some tend to take much more responsibility for bad events than is warranted. The truth is, both good and bad outcomes typically result from a mix of internal and external causes.
For instance, if a relationship is suffering, most often both you (internal) and the other person (external) have contributed to the problem. A well-balanced perspective means taking ownership of your role while acknowledging it’s not all on your shoulders. The emotionally healthy and optimistic individual can recognize their failings and resist taking on blame that doesn’t belong to them.
Bad Events
Optimistic (external): Pessimistic (internal):
“I grew up poor” “I’m insecure”
Good Events
Optimistic (internal): Pessimistic (external):
“My skill...” “My teammates’ skill...”
If you are interested in learning more about your personal explanatory style, go here https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/testcenter to take Seligman’s optimism test.
And here’s a summary of Martin Seligman’s book, Learned Optimism