ABSTRACT
Many people may think of optimism as a natural way some individuals see life. Optimism takes many forms and comes about in multiple ways. It can come “naturally” but can also be a choice the people make, to intentionally practice optimism. Increased optimism can increase resilience and help one cope better with hardships. Increased hope can place a person in a better position to reach their goals and to strengthen their grit. The opposite of learned optimism is learned helplessness (or pessimism), a phenomenon where individuals believe they are incapable of changing their circumstances after repeatedly experiencing a stressful event. Dispositional and explanatory. Dispositional optimism is a broad personality trait, involving an overall expectation that good things will be plentiful in the future and bad things will be scarce. Positive organizational behavior focuses on positivity and strength, rather than adapting from the more problem-oriented mainstream research.
