Chapter 16: Problem 4

Recall the last time you failed or did not do well at something. What kind of explanation did you offer for your failure? Was this explanation pessimistic or optimistic? Explain. How did your explanation affect your mood or feelings?

Short Answer

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This exercise is subjective and depends on personal experiences. Therefore, a specific response cannot be provided.

Step by step solution

Recalling the Incident

Remember an incident where failure occurred or something did not go as well as planned. It can be from any area of life – academics, personal goals, professional pursuits, etc.

Explanation for Failure

Reflect on the reasons that were given (either to oneself or to others) as an explanation for this failure. It's important to be honest and candid at this stage, as this step forms the foundation for the following steps.

Categorizing the Explanation

Based on the understanding of the explanation provided, categorize it as either optimistic or pessimistic. Remember, an optimistic explanation points to external causes or controllable personal factors, while a pessimistic one often attributes failures to personal shortcomings that are permanent and uncontrollable.

Justify the Categorization

Substantiate why the explanation falls into the selected category (optimistic or pessimistic), offering clear evidence from the scenario recalled. To do this, one might compare the explanation given for the failure to the definitions of optimistic and pessimistic explanations.

Reflect on the Emotional Impact

Reflect on and state how the explanation provided for the failure influenced one's mood or feelings after the event. Did it cause feelings of helplessness or despair, or did it, on the contrary, empower one to bounce back or learn a valuable lesson from the failure? This step requires introspection.

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Recall the last time you failed or did not do well at something. What kind of explanation did you offer for your failure? Was this explanation pessimistic or optimistic? Explain. How did your explanation affect your mood or feelings?

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Recalling the Incident

Explanation for Failure

Categorizing the Explanation

Justify the Categorization

Reflect on the Emotional Impact

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