Big Ideas

The obstacles that we think prevent us from realizing our deepest wishes can actually lead to their fulfillment. Starry-eyed dreaming isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and as it turns out, dreamers are not often doers.

While optimism can help us alleviate immediate suffering and persevere in challenging times, merely dreaming about the future actually makes people more frustrated and unhappy over the long term and less likely to achieve their goals. In fact, the pleasure we gain from positive fantasies allows us to fulfill our wishes virtually, sapping our energy to perform the hard work of meeting challenges and achieving goals in real life.

Based on her groundbreaking research and large-scale scientific studies, Oettingen introduces a new way to visualize the future, called mental contrasting. It combines focusing on our dreams with visualizing the obstacles that stand in our way. By experiencing our dreams in our minds and facing reality we can address our fears, make concrete plans, and gain energy to take action.

  • Wish
  • Outcome
  • Obstacle
  • Plan

As you step back from this interview and look at the big picture, you will realize that what Dr Oettingen talked about is a great strategy to develop mental toughness. She taught us the importance of anticipating challenges and obstacles and figuring out ways to overcome them. She is a scientific researcher and all her data comes from science … but her research findings are not very far from what Stoic philosophers wrote about 2000 years ago. It’s fascinating.


Interview Links

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