Talk given by Reginald Braithwaite (raganwald if you're familiar with Ruby).

Slides

Slides with speaker's notes

I see a lot of posts (on Hubski and all over the place) from people who think they are helpless or at the mercy of outside influences beyond their control. There are techniques (backed by research) that can help change to a more positive outlook far beyond the annoying and unhelpful "Just be positive" attitude adjustment.

This talk is about one such book Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman

It's difficult to navigate the abomination of the self-help book market.

I've read this book and even though I'm generally more optimistic than most I still learned a lot. It contains a lot of explanations and exercises that can help you adjust your outlook for the better.

It's not a cure for depression or negativity, but it's a good framework for better balance.

I'm continually surprised by famous or well-known people that admit they suffer from depression or anxiety or a range of other mental health problems.

Another book I'd recommend is Shawn Achor's - The Happiness Advantage - his TED talk led me to buy that book.

Hey hubski - why not share some things that have helped you through the tough times we all face?

As Plato said:

    Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.


user-inactivated:

It's all very silly, but I've enjoyed a lot of what's come out out the speculative realism camp, especially Nicola Masciandaro's extremely bleak quietism.


posted 2801 days ago