Normal people exaggerate how competent and well liked they are. Depressed people do not. Normal people remember their past behaviour with a rosy glow. Depressed people are more even handed in recalling successes and failures. Normal people describe themselves primarily positively. Depressed people describe both positive and negative qualities. Normal people tend to take credit for successful outcomes and deny responsibility for failure. Depressed people accept responsibility for both success and failure. Normal people exaggerate the control they have over what goes on around them. Depressed people are less vulnerable to the illusion of control. Normal people believe to an unrealistic degree that the future holds a bounty of good things and a few bad things. Depressed people are more realistic on their perceptions of the future. In fact, on virtually every point on which normal people show enhanced self regard, illusions of control, and unrealistic expectations of the future, depressed people fail to show the same biases. “Sadder but wiser” does indeed appear to apply to depression.

-  Shadow Syndromes by John J. Ratey, MD and Catherine Johnson, PH.D

(Source: socialphobiaworld.com)