--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After spending decades studying how…" description: "\"“After spending decades studying how people deal with setbacks, psychologist Martin Seligman found that three P’s can stunt recovery: (1) personalizati..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/adam-grant-3775_failure_after-spending-decades-studying-how-peop_919995.jpg" --- # After spending decades studying how people deal with… ![“After spending decades studying how people deal with setbacks, psychologist Martin Seligman found that three P’s can stunt recovery: (1) personalization—the belief that we are at fault; (2) pervasiveness—the belief that an event will affect all areas of our life; and (3) permanence—the belief that…” quote by Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/adam-grant-3775_failure_after-spending-decades-studying-how-peop_919995.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/adam-grant-3775_failure_after-spending-decades-studying-how-peop_919995.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/adam-grant-3775_failure_after-spending-decades-studying-how-peop_919995.jpg) > ““After spending decades studying how people deal with setbacks, psychologist Martin Seligman found that three P’s can stunt recovery: (1) personalization—the belief that we are at fault; (2) pervasiveness—the belief that an event will affect all areas of our life; and (3) permanence—the belief that the aftershocks of the event will last forever.”” [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Personalization, pervasiveness, and permanence are three cognitive traps that hinder recovery from setbacks. **In simple terms:** Three mental habits block bounce‑back after failure. Key Takeaway Challenge these three beliefs to heal. Themes psychology resilience cognitive bias recovery Mood encouraging insightful Type motivational practical When to use this quote - therapy - coaching - self‑reflection - stress management Key Concepts behavioral science mental health growth mindset Questions to Reflect On - Which of the three beliefs do you notice most? - How can you reframe setbacks? A Different Perspective Overcoming these traps requires sustained effort and support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief Aftershocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-aftershocks-1417679/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Last forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-forever/) [Permanence Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permanence-belief-1417681/) [Recovery Personalization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recovery-personalization-1417680/) [Setbacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setbacks/) [Setbacks Psychologist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setbacks-psychologist-1417678/) ## Related quotes > [“three P’s can stunt recovery: (1) personalization—the belief that we are at fault; (2) pervasiveness—the belief that an event will affect all areas of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/three-p-s-can-stunt-recovery-1-personalization-the-belief-that-we-are/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [“(1) personalization—the belief that we are at fault; (2) pervasiveness—the belief that an event will affect all areas of our life; and (3) permanence—the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/1-personalization-the-belief-that-we-are-at-fault-2-pervasiveness-the/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [“We plant the seeds of resilience in the ways we process negative events. After spending decades studying how people deal with setbacks, psychologist Martin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/we-plant-the-seeds-of-resilience-in-the-ways-we-process-negative/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [The beautiful thing about setbacks is they introduce us to our strengths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/the-beautiful-thing-about-setbacks-is-they-introduce-us-to-our/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [Do not allow setbacks to set you back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-abrams/do-not-allow-setbacks-to-set-you-back/) [Stacey Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-abrams/) > [I was uploading on YouTube and stuff, and they were liking it or whatever. I just kept elevating and elevating. I had little setbacks,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kodak-black/i-was-uploading-on-youtube-and-stuff-and-they-were-liking-it-or/) [Kodak Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kodak-black/) > [“We are defined by how we react to setbacks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-holder/we-are-defined-by-how-we-react-to-setbacks/) [Nancy Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-holder/) > [Enduring setbacks while maintaining the ability to show others the way to go forward is a true test of leadership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nitin-nohria/enduring-setbacks-while-maintaining-the-ability-to-show-others-the/) [Nitin Nohria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nitin-nohria/) > [Temporary setbacks are overshadowed by persistence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-l-cook/temporary-setbacks-are-overshadowed-by-persistence/) [Quentin L. Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-l-cook/) > [If I don't ask "Why me?" after my victories, I cannot ask "Why me?" after my setbacks and disasters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ashe/if-i-don-t-ask-why-me-after-my-victories-i-cannot-ask-why-me-after-my/) [Arthur Ashe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ashe/) > [“When setbacks arise - and they will from time to time - regroup, recharge, refocus and refine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasheed-ogunlaru/when-setbacks-arise-and-they-will-from-time-to-time-regroup-recharge/) [Rasheed Ogunlaru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasheed-ogunlaru/) > [You can tell a lot about a person not just by their successes, but by how they deal with their setbacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mlynowski/you-can-tell-a-lot-about-a-person-not-just-by-their-successes-but-by/) [Sarah Mlynowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mlynowski/) > [Yeah, I think in tennis you have plenty of setbacks, plenty of times where you're not the one winning or doing well. And that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shelton/yeah-i-think-in-tennis-you-have-plenty-of-setbacks-plenty-of-times/) [Ben Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shelton/) > [New things have to experience difficulties and setbacks as they grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mao-zedong/new-things-have-to-experience-difficulties-and-setbacks-as-they-grow/) [Mao Zedong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mao-zedong/) > [You will find that every successful entrepreneur has suffered many setbacks. These entrepreneurs just forget to mention these when they are doing interviews with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-wadhwa/you-will-find-that-every-successful-entrepreneur-has-suffered-many/) [Vivek Wadhwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-wadhwa/) ## More by Adam Grant > [When young women get called bossy, it's often because they're trying to exercise power without status. It's not a problem that they're being dominant;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/when-young-women-get-called-bossy-it-s-often-because-they-re-trying/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [If I had the day off and knew everyone else was voting, I wouldn't miss it. It would become a routine part of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/if-i-had-the-day-off-and-knew-everyone-else-was-voting-i-wouldn-t/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [No one wants to hear everything that's in your head. They just want you to live up to what comes out of your mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/no-one-wants-to-hear-everything-that-s-in-your-head-they-just-want/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [Geniuses don't have better ideas than the rest of us. 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What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. 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