The Molecule of More

THE MOLECULE OF MORE

to shout, “They don’t want it! They don’t want it!” Buffalo’s
will—their belief that they were destined to prevail, their
self-efficacy—was stronger that day than their opponents’
skills and abilities. The Bills sent the game into overtime and
won on a 32-yard field goal, 41–38. This victory would be the
greatest point-deficit comeback in NFL history.
Of note: Bills star quarterback Jim Kelly had been
injured the previous week and was replaced in the Oilers
game by his backup, Frank Reich. At that time, Reich held
the record for the biggest comeback in college football his-
tory. A decade earlier he had led the Maryland Terrapins
from a first-half deficit of 31–0 to a 42–40 win over the unde-
feated Miami Hurricanes. Four years after the Bills’ victory
over the Oilers, the team, led by quarterback Todd Collins,
would come back from a 26-point deficit to defeat the Indi-
anapolis Colts, setting the second-highest point record for
a regular-season comeback. The self-efficacy of the Buffalo
Bills seemed to propagate itself. Success inspired confi-
dence; confidence produced success.

WHAT IF YOU TRIED BEING NICE?

James was referred to treatment by his employer after he threw a stapler
across the room in a fit of rage. He was a middle-aged man who had risen
through the ranks to become a vice president at a large company. He was
not liked and the only reason for his success was his determination and hard
work. He told the therapist that he would have been fired long ago if had
he not made himself such a valuable asset. The problem was that he was
always angry.
He had been abused as a child and had never come to terms with what
had happened. He never told anyone about it, and persuaded himself that
it didn’t matter because it had happened so long ago. He had been divorced