Why do some people wilt when faced with setbacks? Why do others thrive in the same circumstances? Imagine you’re given a puzzle to solve in a certain time. It’s not too hard. But it does challenge you. You complete it on time. You’re pleased. Now you take on a harder puzzle. This one demands mental skills you’ve not studied or previously encountered. You’re stumped. You fail to solve the puzzle. Time’s up. How do you react to your failure? Your reaction, say cognitive scientists, tells us a lot about whether you will wilt or thrive in the face of life’s inevitable setbacks. Some among us – and we’ve all done this at one time or another – react to such failures by saying, “This…
