Book the Optimistic Child by Martin Seligman

¶ … Optimistic Child

As a child and young adult, the "self-esteem movement" had very little bearing on my experiences or my education. I was a capable well-adjusted student, and I received a good deal of support from my parents and teachers. I felt comfortable in school and progressed without any issues, and while I was a solid student, I was never extremely noteworthy for either positive or negative reasons. I don't recall the adults in my life making any specific effort to teach me about "positive thinking," and as far as I can recall I had a natural comprehension for my own strengths and weaknesses, and did not associate my weaknesses as failures. For example, I was far better at reading and writing than math. I did not see my lack of math skills as a negative, but I simply grew more interested in subjects that involved reading and writing.

During high school, I had the difficult experience of changing schools. My first high school was large and not a place I considered to be supportive or welcoming. I learned some important lessons regarding prejudice and racism, so my time there was an important part of my development, but again, it did not have a major affect on my self-esteem. The second high school I attended was a very strong community with excellent teachers. I felt very connected to the school, my coursework, and my teachers because I was encouraged to excel and I enjoyed learning. During this period no one specifically discussed self-esteem or self-confidence with me, but my sense of belonging and enjoyment made my second high school more enjoyable and my academic performance improved as a result of these positive feelings.

In his book, The Optimistic Child, Martin Seligman makes an argument that teaching children positive thinking can lay the foundation for an optimistic view of the future, build resiliency against perceived set backs, and decrease the risk of depression. While Seligman's book does an excellent job of outlining the psychological theories of self-esteem and ways that positive thinking can safeguard a child, I see it only as a possible tool, rather than a "program," as it is technically presented.

Seligman uses case studies and contemporary educational practices to support the concept that optimism will strengthen a child's ability to "do well" or "feel good." Based on my own personal educational experiences, I don't believe his theories provide a universal solution to the problem of pessimism, depression, or academic and social "failure." Researchers have a difficult time resolving whether failure is a cause of low self-esteem or if low self-esteem causes failure (Seligman, p. 35). In my own personal education I did not find that "feeling bad" was associated with a lack of achievement, nor did "feeling good" is correlate with successes. In my first high school I frequently felt "bad" and my grades were well above average and my participation in extra curricular activities was quite successful. In my second high school my feeling of wellness improved, and I felt more at ease, but due to the challenging nature of the school, my grades were not quite as high, and I had less time to play sports. Thus, my experiences were more directly influenced by the context of my schooling than the nature of my thinking.