
How to become more resilient and cope better 133
people are more accurate when slightly depressed or at least in
a neutral mood, which appears to suggest that we need slightly
pessimistic pilots, accountants and surgeons. However being
optimistic, bigging it up a bit, can be a good thing and is espe-
cially so when we face adversity.
brilliant
insight
For Martin Seligman the importance of believing we can affect our own
outcome whatever the circumstances came through his research into dogs’
behaviour and their response to being mildly electrocuted. Many dogs
gave up resistance quite quickly and resigned themselves passively to the
treatment, ...