Pros and cons of positive and negative thinking | How to combine them?
Positive thinking is now in fashion. Shelves in stores are increasingly filled with books that develop positive thinking. In addition, there are an immeasurable number of trainings and seminars on the same topic. For this reason people completely forget about the power of negative thinking. No one thinks about it, but can it do any good for a person? In the next 10 minutes we will try to find out.
In this article we will look at and compare two types of thinking: positive thinking and negative thinking. We will clarify the advantages and disadvantages of each. And at the end, we will learn how to combine them so that they are beneficial.
The power of positive thinking.
As I said, positive thinking is very popular. People try to look at the things and events around them with optimism, to set themselves up only for the best, and to overlook problems. To some extent this is reasonable, because positive thinking can help people:
Find happiness;
Get rid of stress;
Achieve goals;
Important: Every time negative thoughts creep into your head, immediately swat them away.
One way to learn to think positively is to properly use the "What if?" question.
Instead of saying to yourself, "What if I don't make it? What if I lose money? What if I don't get hired?" Say, "What if this deal turns out to be a success? What if I like it? What if this idea turns out to be innovative?" As a result of this kind of reasoning, you'll have a big advantage of pros over cons.
Pros
Every positive thought energizes you internally. And energy is the key to success in all areas of life.
Positive thinking inspires hope and motivation.
Optimism makes it easier for a person to get rid of stress.
Positive thinking boosts confidence and self-esteem.
By focusing only on positive thoughts, you develop discipline in yourself.
Cons
In all circumstances, a person must be prepared for the unexpected. But under the influence of optimism, a person stops noticing all the negativity around him. Because of this he is unable to prepare for the troubles and trials that fate has prepared for him.
People who use positive thinking as a defense against negativity simply close their eyes to problems. Such positively-charged people say, "they say I'm fine," when in fact the situation is quite different.
Because of the prevalence of optimistic thoughts teenagers lose touch with reality. They begin to behave in potentially dangerous ways: getting behind the wheel drunk and risking their own lives while thinking: "is everything okay?"
What's the bottom line:
Yes, thinking optimistically is helpful, but don't get carried away with it. If you just stand there and wait for "happiness to fall from the sky," you may not see problems coming.
Note: Sometimes it's necessary to be realistic and realize that not everything in life is that smooth.
The Power of Negative Thinking
Remember, no one is able to succeed everywhere and in everything: neither in sports, nor in business, nor in medicine. In each area, there will be troubles and trials. And if we are unprepared for them, then even a small setback can lead to depression.
Pros
Negativity or even anger can be used to your advantage. The next time there is a desire to "let off steam," release it in a useful way. For example, during sports. This way, you transform the negative into additional energy.
Negative thoughts protect and prepare for trouble.
Pessimists, being prepared in advance for the worst case scenario, are much more confident in stressful situations than optimists.
Minuses
A person who thinks negatively about himself destroys his own self-esteem and confidence.
Negative thoughts take people far and long away from their goals.
They suck a person's internal energy.
Setting oneself up for failure leads to stress and worry.
Pessimists are people who often give up. They are hostage to perfectionism. Pessimists stop pursuing goals and give up after the first failed attempt.
What's the conclusion:
Based on all this, we can conclude that negative thinking is useful, but in case a person lacks self-confidence. It does not hurt him to look at life from a negative point of view. As a result he will work better and harder so that pessimistic expectations do not come true in reality.
How to combine positive and negative thinking
"Hope for the best, but expect the worst."
This phrase, more than anything else, describes the essence of the article.
The harsh reality is that we will constantly encounter circumstances that are beyond our control. The only way to keep such circumstances from throwing us off is to combine positive and negative thinking.
Find a balance
Let your thoughts be positive, but also be on guard at all times, and prepare for the surprises of fate. Bad things were, are and will be. That's life, and you can't do without it.
I think you have drawn the right conclusions from this article. Now you won't be fooled into saying that positive thinking can solve all problems.
Combine positive and negative thinking.
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