Causes Quote by Martin Seligman
“Finding permanent and universal causes for misfortune is the practice of despair...”
About This Quote
Source Book: Authentic Happiness by Martin Seligman, 2002
Searching for universal causes of misfortune leads to despair; accept uncertainty instead.
In simple terms: Looking for single causes of bad luck causes hopelessness.
Key Takeaway
Embrace uncertainty and focus on resilience.
Themes
psychology
resilience
philosophy
Mood
reflective
hopeful
analytical
Type
self‑help
philosophical
motivational
When to use this quote
- counseling
- stress management
- personal development
- education
Key Concepts
learned helplessness
causal attribution
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you build resilience without blaming fate?
- What small actions improve your outlook?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on causality can ignore personal agency.
![“It's one thing to be discouraged. It's another thing to have despair. Despair is when you think there's just no end to this [suffering]. There's no solution for this. Despair is when you think that your suffering has no purpose, and your suffering has no end.” quote by Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c5d/max-lucado-190_despair_it-s-one-thing-to-be-discouraged-it-s-an_1532252.jpg)
![“Well the first time I performed, my mom was like how she is now when sees me on stage – all red, smiling from ear to ear. So I don’t want to mess up, [be]cause she’s smiling. Seeing my mom happy is kind of like an overwhelming feeling.” quote by Chris Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/477/chris-brown-1887_causes_well-the-first-time-i-performed-my-mom-w_4699.jpg)