Many portrait artists study anatomy, on the basis that it is only by understanding the internal structure of the human body that they feel able to convey their subjects’ appearance convincingly. Similarly, in order to present a rounded portrait of an optimist, it is necessary to appreciate how the inner workings of the optimist’s mind influence his or her external characteristics.
When attempting to define and understand the traits that distinguish the optimist, it soon becomes clear that every one of them stems directly or indirectly from the optimistic explanatory style (see pp.14–15). To recap: optimists take credit for good events and believe that the effects will last a long time and touch other aspects of their lives, whereas they disassociate themselves from bad events, all of which they consider to be fleeting and localized.
Because they believe that they are responsible for their triumphs and blameless for the setbacks they encounter, optimists keep their self-esteem at a healthy level. When people have confidence in their abilities, they develop a sense of control. Operating with the feeling of being in control makes optimists happier, and less likely to suffer from anxiety, stress and depression, than those who consider themselves powerless to change their situation for the better. Believing they have what’s required to succeed, optimists are willing to take action in order to achieve their goals, which increases the possibility that they will get what they want. If it doesn’t work out, they try again, because their attitude is that lack of success is not owing to their inability, but to external circumstances, and so can be overcome if the circumstances change.
Experiencing success in one activity gives optimistic people the confidence to face new challenges in the expectation of further success. By being open to new fields of activity in this way optimists continue to enrich their lives with positive experiences, which add to their feelings of happiness and fulfilment.
Optimists thrive on dealing with other people, and because they tend to be involved in so many different activities, they have ample opportunity to do so. Their well-developed sense of control extends to their emotions, which they manage intelligently in order to keep their interactions positive, friendly and productive.
On the following pages, we will examine in more detail some of the key components that contribute to an optimistic outlook, such as emotional intelligence, self-esteem and resilience. Don’t be discouraged if you feel that this portrait bears little or no resemblance to you. We have located the source of optimism: everything stems from your explanatory style and you will soon discover that it is in your power to make your explanatory style optimistic.