"What followed was a vigorous exploration of **the flip side of learned helplessness, which Marty later dubbed learned optimism** . The crucial insight that seeded Marty’s new work was available from the very beginning: **While two-thirds of the dogs that had experienced uncontrollable shock later gave up trying to help themselves, about a third remained resilient. Despite their earlier trauma, they kept trying maneuvers that would bring relief from pain**. "It was those resilient dogs that led Marty to study the analogous I won’t quit response to adversity in people. **Optimists, Marty soon discovered, are just as likely to encounter bad events as pessimists. Where they diverge is in their explanations: optimists habitually search for temporary and specific causes of their suffering, whereas pessimists assume permanent and pervasive causes are to blame**. --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[optimism]], [[pessimism]], [[adversity]], [[resilience]], [[failure]], [[slowing-down-not-stopping]], [[context]] **Source** -- [[20241030 - B - Grit]] **See Also** -- [[202308180913 — AtN — You have the ability to reframe scenarios to protect your mental health]]