Attitude and Changing It

We hear such frequent sayings: “Attitude determines everything,” or the observation: “The problem is in the attitude…,” or advice: “Change your attitude!”

There are so many aphorisms about attitude, for example: “What matters is not events or your past, but your attitude toward what has happened!” But what exactly is attitude? How are attitudes formed? Why are attitudes so powerful — what gives them authority over our lives? And if they are so influential, how is it possible to change an attitude? Can you change only your own, or someone else’s attitude as well? In the first part, we will examine the psychological foundations of attitude formation. In the lecture, I will talk about what this word “attitude” actually means, how psychology understands it. What psychological mechanisms form attitudes? What kinds of attitudes exist, how stable they are, and in what ways they can be changed. In the second part, we will turn to specific attitudes that can improve our life and well-being. We will examine several commonly recommended attitudes:

• Forgiveness, letting go, not waiting;
• Releasing and non-attachment;
• Gratitude;
• Trust;

We will also talk about other attitudes that create difficulties in life. Lecture time and location