Attitude: What It Is, How It Shapes Behaviour, and Its Influence on Success

I once walked into a big job interview filled with doubt, convinced I wasn’t good enough. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t get the job. Months later, I tried again—but this time, I walked in believing I had something valuable to offer. Same skills, same person, but a different attitude. I got the job. That day, I realised attitude isn’t just about being positive—it’s about how you see yourself and the world around you.

Did you know that 93% of communication is non-verbal, according to psychologist Dr. Albert Mehrabian? Our attitude shapes not only how we speak but how we carry ourselves, influencing our relationships, choices, and successes. In both personal and professional life, attitude can be the quiet force that drives us forward or holds us back.

What is Attitude?

Attitude is how we think, feel, and behave towards people, situations, and the world around us. It shapes how we react to challenges, connect with others, and approach our goals.

In psychology, attitude is defined as a learned tendency to evaluate things in a certain way—positively, negatively, or sometimes with mixed feelings.

Imagine meeting someone who is always smiling, encouraging others, and staying calm under pressure. Their attitude creates a positive atmosphere that inspires those around them. On the other hand, someone who often complains or expects the worst can bring down the energy of a whole room.

Psychologists break down attitude into three main components, often called the ABC Model of Attitudes:

• Affective (Feelings): This is how we emotionally respond to something. For example, feeling happy when helping others or frustrated when facing delays.

• Behavioural (Actions): This refers to how we behave based on our attitude. If you have a positive attitude towards teamwork, you’re more likely to support and collaborate with others.

• Cognitive (Thoughts): These are the beliefs or thoughts we have about something. For instance, believing that hard work leads to success influences how much effort we put into our goals.

How Attitudes Are Formed

Our attitudes don’t appear overnight—the world around us shapes them, the people we meet, and the experiences we go through. Let’s explore the key factors that form our attitudes and shape how we see the world.

Personal Experiences

Our experiences leave lasting marks on our attitudes. A positive experience, like receiving support during a tough time, can create a hopeful attitude. A negative experience, like facing rejection, can build fear or self-doubt.

For example, someone who’s often encouraged at work may develop a confident attitude, while someone frequently criticised may become unsure of themselves. Each experience adds to how we feel about similar situations in the future. Over time, our personal experiences build the attitudes we carry with us every day.

Learning Mechanisms

Attitudes are also formed through learning. From a young age, we observe, listen, and absorb, often without realising it. Psychologists describe three main ways we learn attitudes:

• Classical Conditioning: We associate feelings with certain things. For example, if you always feel relaxed while listening to a specific song, you develop a positive attitude towards it. Advertisers often use this by showing happy scenes with their products, making us feel good about them.

• Operant Conditioning: Rewards and punishments shape our attitudes. A student praised for asking questions may grow to enjoy learning. In contrast, someone who is often criticised for speaking up may develop a negative attitude towards sharing their ideas.

• Observational Learning: We learn by watching others. Seeing someone we admire stay calm under pressure might inspire us to handle stress the same way. As children, many of our attitudes come from observing parents, teachers, or TV characters.

Social and Cultural Influences

The people around us and the culture we grow up in shape our attitudes, too. From family and friends to social media and school, these influences teach us what is valued, respected, or expected.

For example, in cultures where family respect is important, many develop an attitude of care towards elders. In societies that value independence, people may form attitudes that focus on self-reliance. Even the media we consume plays a role. Watching stories of people overcoming challenges can build positive attitudes, while constant exposure to negativity can lead to pessimism.

Types of Attitudes

Attitudes shape how we see the world and how we respond to it. Most attitudes fall into certain types. Understanding these helps us become more aware of our mindset and how it affects our lives.

• Positive vs Negative Attitudes

A positive attitude means looking for the good in situations and believing things can get better. It helps us stay motivated and push through challenges. People with positive attitudes often build strong relationships and feel more confident because they focus on what can go right instead of what can go wrong.

A negative attitude focuses on what’s wrong and expects things to fail. It can drain our energy and stop us from trying new things. We often feel stressed and unmotivated when we get stuck in negative thinking. Our attitude can shape our actions, and it can either help us move forward or hold us back.

• Explicit vs Implicit Attitudes

Explicit attitudes are the ones we know we have. We can explain how we feel about certain things and why. For example, you might know you enjoy working in teams because you like sharing ideas and helping others.

Implicit attitudes are the ones we don’t always notice. They are shaped by past experiences or things we’ve picked up over time. Sometimes, we act in certain ways without knowing why, and that’s often because of these hidden attitudes.

How Attitudes Shape Behaviour

Our attitude is often the invisible force behind the choices we make every day. It influences how we respond to challenges, interact with others, and handle the unexpected. We’re more likely to approach situations with confidence and an open mind when we have a positive attitude. This shapes our behaviour in ways that help us grow.

A negative attitude can hold us back. When we expect the worst, we often avoid trying new things or giving up too soon. Over time, this becomes a cycle. If we believe we can’t do something, we don’t even try. And when we don’t try, we don’t succeed, which makes us believe even more that we can’t do it.

The good news is that our attitude can change. Even small changes in how we see things can lead to big changes in how we act. When we focus on what’s possible instead of what’s wrong, we take more chances and handle setbacks better.

The Role of Attitude in Achieving Success

Attitude plays a big part in success. Many successful people aren’t the smartest or most talented—they just have a strong, positive attitude. They believe they can improve, stay focused when things get hard, and see failure as a chance to learn. This mindset helps them keep going when others give up. It helps them find solutions when others see problems.

A positive attitude keeps us motivated and strong. It helps us push forward even when things are difficult. When we believe that hard work will pay off, we’re more willing to put in the effort to reach our goals. This makes success more possible, not because it’s easy, but because we don’t quit.

A negative attitude makes success harder. When we doubt ourselves or fear failure, we often don’t even try. Even with talent and chances, a negative mindset can stop us from reaching our full potential.

Success isn’t just about reaching our goals. It’s also about growing as a person. A positive attitude helps us build confidence, strong relationships, and inner strength. When we choose to see the good, we set ourselves up for success in every part of life.

Attitude vs Aptitude: Which Matters More for Success?

When it comes to success, people often ask which is more important—attitude or aptitude. Both matter, but attitude often plays a bigger role. Natural talent can help us get started, but without the right mindset, even the most skilled person can struggle to reach their goals.

Attitude is how we face challenges and setbacks. A positive attitude helps us stay motivated, try again after failure, and believe we can improve with effort. It shapes how we handle tough situations, work with others, and keep going when things get hard.

Aptitude means our natural talent or ability. It helps us learn certain skills faster or do well in specific areas without much effort. But talent alone is not enough. Without hard work, practice, and the right mindset, even the most gifted person may fall behind.

In the end, attitude often matters more. Skills can be learned, but a strong attitude helps us stay focused, keep growing, and push forward when things get tough. Talent may give us a start, but attitude helps us finish strong.