Misbeliefs in one's inefficacy may retard development of the very subskills upon which more complex performances depend

After people become convinced they have what it takes to succeed, they persevere in the face of adversity and quickly rebound from setbacks. By sticking it out through tough times, they emerge stronger from adversity.

Many people who gain recognition and fame shape their lives by overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles, only to be catapulted into new social realities over which they have less control and manage badly. Indeed, the annals of the famous and infamous are strewn with individuals who were both architects and victims of their life courses.

To grant thought causal efficacy is not to invoke a disembodied mental state

Self-appraisals are influenced by evaluative reactions of others.

When actions are followed by events that are not causally related to the prior acts, people often erroneously perceive contingencies that do not, in fact, exist

We are more heavily invested in the theories of failure than we are in the theories of success.