What Martin Seligman has said about Agency (Martin Seligman book)

Seligman defines agency as comprising efficacy, optimism, and imagination.

“to be agentic, you have to be efficacious, believing you can accomplish your goals now, optimistic, I can do them into the future, and imaginative”

Modern Wisdom: Positive Psychology Founder: How To Stop Your Negative Thoughts - Martin Seligman - #1167 (Oct 24, 2026) · Listen from 28:42

Seligman argues that Augustine's doctrine of grace renounced human agency and was followed by nearly a thousand years of stagnation.

“This becomes church doctrine for the next almost thousand years. And what you get by all five criteria is stagnation and regression”

Modern Wisdom: Positive Psychology Founder: How To Stop Your Negative Thoughts - Martin Seligman - #1167 (Oct 24, 2026) · Listen from 35:05

Seligman warns each agency component has a shadow side, such as optimism leading to blaming the victim, so wisdom and morality are needed.

“Being optimistic about things doesn't mean they're going to turn out well. Uh, it leads to, uh, uh, foolish decisions, but it also leads to blaming the victim”

Modern Wisdom: Positive Psychology Founder: How To Stop Your Negative Thoughts - Martin Seligman - #1167 (Oct 24, 2026) · Listen from 1:03:20