The Luck Factor
Are you lucky? Give yourself a pat on the back.
UPDATE: Here's your handy-dandy link to the Seligman book my favorite epidemiologist keeps recommending.
The Luck Factor
Are you lucky? Give yourself a pat on the back.
UPDATE: Here's your handy-dandy link to the Seligman book my favorite epidemiologist keeps recommending.
This article reminded me of a very thoughtful and well-researched self-help book called "Learned Optimism," by a psychologist named Martin Seligman. He points out the value of healthy illusions: they help people pick themselves up and move on after failure.
Lena at January 1, 2004 8:31 PM
Interesting article. I must say, I approached it with a healthy dose of skepticism. A person's luck factor? And how much of our tax dollars went to support this venture into junk science? (Although since the monetary rewards are mentioned in pounds, I would say "none.")
But much of what he says does make sense. If I were the one participating in the experiment, I probably would have noticed the 2 inch headline that said "There are 143 photographs in the newspaper," but I would have assumed it was a trick and kept right on counting.
Patrick at January 2, 2004 4:43 AM
'"There are 143 photographs in the newspaper," but I would have assumed it was a trick and kept right on counting.'
Then the researcher might have interpreted "assumed it was a trick" as an expression of anxiety, thereby supporting his hypothesis that the un-lucky are more anxious, less flexible, etc.
Check out the Seligman book sometime. There's no trace of junk in it. Clinicians and folks like us can apply his ideas readily.
PS: There were 43 photos, not 143, if my middle-aged memory serves me.
Lena at January 2, 2004 10:03 AM