Agency (Martin Seligman book)
Work in Books
Agency (Martin Seligman book) has come up in 1 episode across 1 podcast in TMT, including Modern Wisdom. 1 person has made recorded remarks about it.
What people said
Martin SeligmanPsychologist known for learned helplessness research, author of a forthcoming book on agency
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
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 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
Podcasts
- Modern Wisdom · 1 episode
Episodes
Positive Psychology Founder: How To Stop Your Negative Thoughts - Martin Seligman - #1167Modern Wisdom · Oct 24, 2026 · 1 h 21 min
Chris Williamson talks with psychologist Martin Seligman about learned helplessness, optimism, his new book Agency, AI and creativity, and the Axial Age.