As much as I dislike contributing to an extreme society that paints much of life black and white, I do believe people generally fall — not without nuance — into two categories. At least I have seen this happen repeatedly enough in my life to call it a pattern.
There are people who internalize and there are people who externalize everything from the smallest things that happen in the course of a day to life’s bigger, more meaningful, if not pivotal events.
Internalizers —
- tend to blame themselves.
- look for ways to do things differently next time.
- accept reality — fair or unfair — and proceed with sober and clear caution, colored by persistent optimism.