WATCH: How an ancient Jewish Sage can change your life

In his influential book Learned Optimism, psychologist Martin Seligman argues that three central attitudes, personalization, permanence, and pervasiveness, determine whether we approach life with hope or despair.

These “three Ps” determine if we’ll see challenges as fleeting or insurmountable, specific or all consuming, our fault or just part of life. Successful people, Seligman says, master these by not taking setbacks personally, viewing problems as temporary, and keeping them in perspective. But centuries before Seligman, a Jewish sage named Rabbi Akiva embodied this mindset in a way that's as relevant now as it was then, a timeless lesson in both resilience and positivity.

Akiva’s Unshakable Optimism

Rabbi Akiva, a first century scholar whose life is celebrated in Jewish tradition, embodied optimism. His stories, woven into texts like the Talmud, show a man who faced crushing hardships yet always found light in the darkness. Jewish liturgy honors him on Yom Kippur, reciting, “Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart,” right after prayers recalling his martyrdom. Akiva’s death on Yom Kippur, tortured by Romans yet praising God, reflects a positivity so profound it’s almost unimaginable.

What made Akiva’s outlook so remarkable? His life was a masterclass in the three Ps. He didn’t take setbacks personally, never saw problems as permanent, and refused to let them define his world. His experiences show how this mindset can transform even the bleakest moments into opportunities for growth.

Defying the Odds

Akiva’s story begins with humility. Born to a poor family, he was uneducated until age 40, a shepherd who couldn’t read Torah. Yet, inspired by his wife Rachel, he began studying, famously observing water droplets carving a hole in a rock. “If water can shape stone, my mind can learn,” he said, rejecting the idea that his lack of learning was permanent. Years of drip by drip effort made him one of Judaism’s greatest scholars, proving challenges aren’t fixed.

When he married Rachel, daughter of a wealthy man, her father disowned her, leaving them in a barn with only hay for a bed. One night, a beggar knocked, asking for hay for his wife to give birth. Akiva gave it gladly, telling Rachel, “See, we’re rich: we have hay, and he doesn’t.” As he picked hay from her hair, he promised her a golden crown one day. That promise, fulfilled years later, showed he never saw poverty as all consuming or lasting.

Even in tragedy, Akiva’s positivity shone. Stranded outside a city that refused him shelter, his donkey, rooster, and candle were stolen or destroyed. Yet he said, “Everything God does is for the best.” Later, he learned bandits attacked the city, sparing him because he was outside.

A Life of Meaningful Perspective

Akiva’s ultimate test came at his death. As Romans tortured him, peeling his flesh, he recited the Shema prayer, smiling at the chance to love God fully. “All my life, I waited for this moment,” he told his stunned students. Even in agony, he framed his suffering as a purposeful culmination, not a defeat. His positivity wasn’t denial but a choice to find meaning in pain.

Jewish tradition ties Akiva’s death to a deeper story. The Talmud links ten martyred rabbis, including Akiva, to the biblical sale of Joseph by his brothers, a sin requiring atonement. Only nine brothers were present, but God, as the tenth “partner,” bore responsibility too. A coin from the sale, symbolizing God’s share, fell to the ground, later found by Akiva’s father, a convert. Akiva’s martyrdom, the story goes, atoned for God’s role, a profound honor. This perspective, that even suffering serves a cosmic purpose, reflects Akiva’s ability to see beyond the moment.

Seligman’s three Ps echo Akiva’s life: don’t take setbacks personally, don’t assume they’ll last forever, and don’t let them color everything. Akiva’s example, from barn to martyrdom, shows how this mindset turns obstacles into stepping stones.

Today, when setbacks can feel overwhelming, Akiva’s story offers a blueprint. Lost a job? It’s not your whole identity. Facing a tough time? It won’t define your future. Struggling with mistakes? They’re part of your growth, not your downfall. Like Akiva, who saw a hole in a rock as proof of change, we can choose to see challenges as temporary, specific, and surmountable.

The buzz around Seligman’s work, with its practical optimism, finds a deeper root in Akiva’s life. His ability to find joy while impoverished, hope in ignorance, and purpose in death challenges us to rethink our own struggles. As Yom Kippur’s prayers remind us, Akiva’s light still shines, urging us to plant our own seeds of resilience.