In “On Being a Cripple”, Nancy Mairs. He hates calling her handicapped because he believes it holds her back. The author writes: “I certainly don't like the term “handicapped,” which implies that I have been deliberately put at a disadvantage, by whom I cannot imagine (my god is not a general handicapper), in order to equalize the odds in the great race of life" (21). In other words, he doesn't want to define her as handicapped, because he wants to live his life with equal opportunities, even if she isn't. Her positive attitude makes her more active. He is trying to live a normal life with his disability. She hates being paralyzed, but is trying to overcome it. If he had a negative attitude, he wouldn't write his story. It wouldn't do anything. I think her positive mindset helps her somehow get rid of something that's holding her back. He overcame the effects of his illness thanks to a positive attitude. Mairs and Jamison's thoughts shaped their lives in positive or negative ways