ABCDE of Learned Optimism

In “Learned Optimism,” Martin Seligman uses the ABCDE model to help challenge the “internal monologue” that leads to helplessness.

The ABCDE Process

1. Adversity: The event (e.g., I failed a test).
2. Belief: Your automatic thought (e.g., I’m not smart enough).
3. Consequence: Your feeling/action (e.g., I feel depressed and want to quit).
4. Disputation: The Key Step. Challenge the belief with evidence (e.g., I didn’t study enough for this specific test, but I passed the others).
5. Energization: The shift in mood that occurs once you realize your negative belief was exaggerated.

How to Dispute (The D Step)

Seligman suggests looking at these three dimensions to shift your thinking:

Dimension	Pessimistic Style	Optimistic Style
Permanence	”It will always be this way."	"This is temporary.”
Pervasiveness	”It ruins everything."	"It’s just this one thing.”
Personalization	”It’s all my fault."	"Factors were external.”