There are two explanatory styles: optimistic and pessimistic. Optimistic explanatory style is when people view their problems as an accident, or that the mishap was okay because it couldn’t have possibly been overcome. They see the issue as external, unstable, and specific. This means that “something else caused the problem, it was a matter of chance, and I can’t help that I make mistakes.” On the other hand, pessimistic explanatory style is when people believe the problem stemmed from themselves or their own existence. They view the issue as internal, stable, and general. They believe, “I caused the problem, it’s because I always mess up. I’m awful at everything similar to this.” Not surprisingly, people with an optimistic explanatory style experience less stress in their daily live. Pessimistic style people tend to dwell on the issue long after it’s over and associate it with past and future …show more content…
Predominantly, people can have what is known as “Type A” or “Type B” personalities. Type A is characterized by an exaggerated sense of time urgency, a general sense of hostility, and intense ambition and competitiveness. These people naturally want to make improvements to things and change the world. Opposingly, they experience a higher amount of stress than do type B personalities. Type A people are constantly trying to do more in less time; this causes them to experience anger and irritation towards others, and they fight to be the best at many different things. These qualities make for a life of constant responsibilities and cause them more stress as a result. Type B personality persons are much more laid back and calm in situations. It is easy to understand how type B people have less worry about life changes and daily stressors. Of course, they still have problems, they just handle them differently. Remember, though, that these are two opposing ends of the spectrum and many people fall on a point somewhere in between the two