Research has shown there are two main ways people interpret events in their lives. One group view themselves as having an “external” locus of control over events in their lives and the other group has an “internal” locus of control. The main difference between the two groups is that the “internal” group believes they control how they view events and therefore how those events will effect them. The “external” group believes their emotional states are generally driven by the events that happen to them, “causing” them to either feel “good” or “bad.” In general, the “internal” group reports higher levels of life satisfaction and overall well being. This is mainly due to the fact that the “internal” group believes they play a part in creating their own destiny through how they interpret and respond to events. The “external” group, on the other hand, just sit back and see what the world throws at them. Then if something “bad” happens they become in a bad mood if something “good” they become in a good mood. To sum up the two groups, the “external” group might ask someone “How is the world treating you?,” whereas the “internal” group might ask something along the lines of “How are you treating the world?”

• FACT: Your upbringing shapes your locus of control, but it is possible to change where you started from and become the opposite
• TAKEAWAY: This is good news and bad. Simply stated, you can achieve an “internal locus of control” even if your upbringing pushed you more towards an “external locus.” However, the opposite could happen as well. For instance if your family was primarily “internal” but then life goes sour you could move more towards the “external” end of the spectrum.