A Larger Perspective

For the last thirty or fourty years we’ve seen the ascendance of individualism and waning of larger beliefs in religion, and in supports from the community and extended family. That means a loss of resources that can buffer you against setbacks and failures. To the extent you see a failure as something that is lasting and which you magnify to taint everything in your life, you are prone to let a momentary defeat become a lasting source of hopelessness. But if you have a larger perspective, like a belief in God and an afterlife, and you lose your job, it’s just a temporary defeat. Martin Seligman, A Psychologist from The University of Pennsylvania. Quote referenced from Emotional Intelligence, by Daniel Goleman.