Stop Negative Thinking
Negative thinking is a way of thinking wherein the person expects adverse outcomes before or throughout the process of making an action or decision. It is also known or referred to as pessimism, which was derived from the Latin word [pessimism] that means 'the worst'.
Basically, pessimism is a way of thinking where the person thinks that negative possibilities outweigh the positive ones. Most of the people think that this way of thinking is just fine, they consider it being realistic or accepting the worst reality that may happen, that it makes them prepared for any terrible outcome. Therefore, negative thinking only makes a person loose his or her confidence and stop what he or she has to accomplish, making a person accept that he or she does not stand a chance to succeed.
Almost everyone is vulnerable to falling prey to negative ideas. It is really hard to avoid, especially when a person is in a really hard situation. These negative thoughts can drain a person's energy and make them a enemy out of themselves. A person may easily loose their focus and determination when they are covered with negative ideas. Throughout all of history, it has been seen and proven that pessimistic character contributes to the failure of a person. Hence, the more pessimistic a person is, the higher chance of failure he or she has. This is why it is important not to give in to negative ideas.
Types of Negative Thinking or Pessimism
All-or-Nothing Thinking- This is a way of negative thinking wherein a person always wants to get everything or do things perfectly because he/she considers that anything less than perfect is a failure.
In a sense, this way of thinking might be beneficial for a person because it makes him or her set their goals high. But on the contrary, it might also be a cause of a problem because it often causes someone to have a stumpy confidence; making the person think or decide not to take the step because of their really high goals.
Disqualifying the Positives- A type of pessimism which is very common. It makes someone afraid of taking any more chances because of a single failure.
It makes a person thing there will always be another failure in their further steps because they've already experienced one. It is like a phobia to flop again, maybe due to a really painful fall from a previous experience. It makes someone reject the idea of success because their mind is pre-occupied by negative ideas.
Negative Self-Labeling- This way of thinking makes someone deny his/her real identity. He thinks that he will not be accepted if people discover his/her real self.
He/She thinks thinks of his whole self as a failure, therefore making him/her have very low self-esteem. He/She thinks that everything they have is a flaw and every action he/she takes is a mistake.
Catastrophizing- It is a type of negative thinking wherein the person thinks that everything that is going to happen is always the worst. It makes the person contradict any chance of a bright future
People who have this way of thinking are often afraid to take any chance and step further because they keep in their mind that every outcome of their action is a catastrophe.
Other Common Types of Negative Thinking
Mind Reading- This is a type of pessimism wherein the person thinks that he/she knows what other people think of his/her actions, which makes them draw negative conclusions on other people's perspective.
Should Statements- A type of negative thinking wherein the person dictates how other people should act towards him/her based on his/her actions and treatment shown to them.
Excessive Need for Approval- It is a negative way of thinking wherein the person thinks that every unpleasant reaction of the people around him is because of him/her. He/She thinks that he can only be happy if others like them and if someone is upset, it is undoubtedly his/her fault.
Disqualifying the Present- A way of thinking wherein the person always thinks of the outcome of their actions, which makes them disregard the present situation and ignore other possibilities.
Dwelling on Pain- This is a way of thinking which is sometimes used by some people as an excuse to feel sorry for themselves. It makes them think that if they worry and make themselves stressed because of a failure, everything will somehow be ok and they will feel better.
Pessimism- It is a mentality wherein a person thinks that everyone does not have the right to be happy and satisfied. And if something good happens, he/she needs to do something bad in exchange of it.
Pessimism is not something that we have when we are born. It is something that we develop every time we take our actions, whether it be the time when we were still young or our time as an adult. In short, we develop our way of thinking over time.
Most of what we are now is something that we develop when we were still sponges. The time when we were still soft and readily absorbing everything given to us. The time when we were still children.
Every experience that a person had when he/she was still a child might be a big factor on how he/she thinks at the present. That classmate of yours in grade school who bullied you, your teacher who insulted you and called you dumb in the class, that bad experience you had which put you on shame, and that friend of yours who turned his back on you. Every bad experience a boy or girl had might be a reason.
An adult age is not an excuse for someone not to have a negative way of thinking. In fact, there are lots of pessimists who developed it at this age.
For most of us, being an adult means a person needs to take actions and make decisions on his/her own. It is being independent. And things get worse when a person fails at this time because he thinks that he/she is not a child anymore and needs to take everything on his/her own and that even includes failures. It may happen anywhere but most of the time, at the workplace, peer groups and even along with families.
That frustration of being denied on your job applications, that time when your boss shouted at you, when you were rejected by a love interest, and even that time when you fail to fulfill your duties as parents. All those hard times may affect a person's way of thinking.
One's beliefs play an important role on his/her way of thinking. Everything that you kept in your mind, told to be the truth, and decided to believe in, may also be a reason to either be optimistic or a pessimist.
The Effects of Negative Thinking-{Intro}
Many people tend to ignore the possible effects of negative thinking, which is the reason why more people tend to become pessimists without even knowing how it might have affected their lives. Having negative thoughts can really make an impact on a person's point of view, quality of life and health.
Continue with me on this blog journey as I release Part 2 and dive deeper into the effects of negative thinking.
