Optimism

After repeated experiences of failure, people would automatically respond to challenging situation with despair and hopelessness. For instance, in the golf world this can be illustrated by the amateur golfer prior to another round of golf stating to himself, "Well I hope I don't play poorly today, but it's inevitable that I will." Or, "There's nothing I can do about my poor putting, I'm just a bad putter." You can guess the result. The golfer plays poorly and putts poorly. This only confirms that he was correct in his thinking.

Whether you think you can or you think you can't either one is true. Learned optimism is the same concept in reverse. If one can learn to be helpless, then one can learn to be optimistic. This involves three skills of good thinking according to Seligman.

How do you think about the misfortunes that befall you on the golf course? Seligman says that someone prone to learned helplessness might say after a bad round, "It's me. It's going to last forever and I'm doomed to play this way for the rest of my life." The golfers who have a chance to get better might say, "It was the circumstances. It's going away anyways and besides, there is much more to life than one bad round." These are more than words; this is a habitual way of thinking.

To become optimistic, one must change the way one pulls lessons from a round of golf. One must think in a way to give oneself a chance to get better even if it appears irrational at the moment. Take only a little while to "Why me?" and then switch to "try me" as soon as possible. It is not thinking that hurts you but bad thinking that is harmful.

Until next time. Enjoy your golf,

Dr. Richard Gordin