Books like Personality and adjustment by Richard S. Lazarus

Running counter to society's current prevailing message that things should always run smoothly--or, at least, appear to--and that failure or mistakes of any sort are to be avoided at all costs, The Gift of Adversity shows that such setbacks are inevitable. Indeed, engaging with our own failures and defeats is one of the only ways we are able to live authentic and meaningful lives. The book illuminates how each different type of setback carries its own challenges and has the potential to yield its own form of wisdom. Using stories from his own life--including his childhood in apartheid-era South Africa, his years after suffering a violent attack from a stranger, and his career as a psychiatrist--as well as case studies and discussions with well-known figures such as Viktor Frankl and David Lynch, Rosenthal reveals that true innovation, emotional resilience, wisdom, and dignity can only come from confronting and understanding the adversity we have experienced.

xvii, 582 p. : 26 cm +

The phenomenon of positive personal change following devastating events has been recognized since ancient times but given little attention by contemporary psychologists and psychiatrists, who have tended to focus on the negative consequences of stress. In recent years, evidence from diverse fields has converged to suggest the reality and pervasive importance of the processes the editors sum up as posttraumatic growth. This volume offers the first comprehensive overview of these processes. Overcoming the challenges of life's worst experiences can catalyze new opportunities for individual and social development. Learning about persons who discover or create the perception of positive change in their lives may shed light on the problems of those who continue to suffer.

Identifies toxic behaviors that make men unsuitable romantic partners and explains a plan to avoid painful entanglements.

PART I: Background 1. About Emotion2. Issues of Research, Classification, and MeasurementPART II: The Cognitive-Motivational-Relational Theory 3. The Person-Environment Relationship, Motivation, and Coping4. Cognition and Emotion5. Issues of CausalityPART III: Individual Emotions 6. Goal-Incongruent (Negative) Emotions7. Goal-Congruent (Positive) and Problematic EmotionsPART IV: Emotional Development 8. Individual Development9. Social InfluencePART V: Practical Applications 10. Emotions and Health11. Implications for Research, Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention