Rethinking Positive Thinking - Gabriele Oettingen

Summary:

Gabriele Oettingen draws on more than twenty years of research in the science of human motivation to reveal why the conventional wisdom falls short. The obstacles that we think prevent us from realizing our deepest wishes can actually lead to their fulfillment. Starry-eyed dreaming isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and as it turns out, dreamers are not often doers. While optimism can help us alleviate immediate suffering and persevere in challenging times, merely dreaming about the future actually makes people more frustrated and unhappy over the long term and less likely to achieve their goals. In fact, the pleasure we gain from positive fantasies allows us to fulfill our wishes virtually, sapping our energy to perform the hard work of meeting challenges and achieving goals in real life. Based on her groundbreaking research and large-scale scientific studies, Oettingen introduces a new way to visualize the future, called mental contrasting. It combines focusing on our dreams with visualizing the obstacles that stand in our way. By experiencing our dreams in our minds and facing reality we can address our fears, make concrete plans, and gain energy to take action. In Rethinking Positive Thinking, Oettingen applies mental contrasting to three key areas of personal change becoming healthy

Summary from goodreads.com

My Review:

This was a great read. I am definitely a fan. The book addresses the correlation between motivation and optimism. What motivates us as humans and what keeps us engaged when we have goals and things that we need to get done? Much recent research has convinced us that thinking positively and being optimistic about the potential outcome of situations is what fuels our hard work. Want to pass that test? Imagine yourself getting the graded exam back and seeing that A+. Want to save money? Imagine looking at your bank balance and seeing an extra zero. Want to date that girl? Imagine asking her out and she says “Yes!” Oettingen challenges this theory. Reaching goals is tedious work. It is not pretty. Sometimes it is boring and repetitive. After all, repetition is the father of learning (Zig Ziglar or Lil Wayne, take your pick). Studying hard means late nights and early mornings. Saving money means not going out with friends or eating at restaurants. Asking that girl out means she could say NO. What if positive thinking simply keeps us dreaming instead of putting in the hard work, day after day, to reach our goals. Are dreamers really NOT doers? In this book, Oettingen challenges this theory. It is definitely something to read if you have Big Goals!!!