This Is Why Negativity Is Actually Useful
Negativity is not bad. Negative emotional reactions, psychological states, physiological sensations, and interpersonal communications can be great. Insightful.
SELF-IMPROVEMENT
Negativity is not bad. Negative emotional reactions, psychological states, physiological sensations, and interpersonal communications can be great. Insightful. The signals are there for a reason. When proportionate and adaptive, they are helpful. Doubts save us from pulling the trigger too soon. Melancholy and sadness reveal that something within is unfulfilled. Physical pain aids us in locating and diagnosing injury and disease. Bad can be good.
Negativity—Too Much Negativity
Listen. Don’t misconstrue me. Negativism, pessimism, cynicism, defeatism, nihilism, and fatalism are not what I am advocating. Negativism is habitual, repeat skepticism, causing it’s possessor to deny and resist suggestions and/or commands. Pessimism is perpetually looking at the dark side and expecting the worst. Cynicism is continuous distrust. Defeatism is accepting loss without struggle. Nihilism is rejecting and opposing religious beliefs, moral principles, law, and rules, due to the view that life is meaningless. Fatalism is the doctrine that all things are determined by fate and interference is hopeless. No, no, no…!
Those doctrines and disagreeable thought and behavior patterns could not be farther from what I am championing. The above-mentioned is unhealthy negativity. Disproportionate to reality. Not merely over-thinking, but over-weighing the downsides, risks, setbacks, losses… Supplanting all that is good with all that is bad in your expectations and actions is horrible. Try not to. Spare no money and sweat in ridding yourself of such psychology. Get professional assistance if needed.
Positivity—Too Much Positivity
Lend your other ear to me now. So that we don’t misunderstand things. Radical positivity is not what I want for you either. Positivism, optimism, materialism, empiricism, and idealism are horrendous. Positivism is a quality characterized by dogmatic assertiveness. Optimism is the belief that good always triumphs over evil. Materialism is an excessive regard for worldly possessions. Empiricism is the doctrine that the only reliable source of knowledge is experience. Idealism is the habit of attributing the ideal form or character to things. Please, no!
None of the preceding are healthy. Not one. Constant positivity is as nasty as constant negativity. The issue lies in proportion. When there’s no balance of good and evil. When your outlook is dominated by either one. Nothing good stems from that. An equilibrium is what we’re seeking. As consumers. As creators. As people. Homeostasis—the ability of a system to adjust to maintain constancy—is in our biology. We feel—feel bad or good—to maintain it. When the synchrony is not attainable, things go downhill. Personally. Professionally. Relationally.
There’s No Simple Recipe
Thus, a coordination of negative and positive is what we’re looking for. Concord. Congruity of parts and the whole. Not discord. People have a tendency to overshadow the importance of negativity. You are not looking to cancel out what we consider “bad”. Nor do you want to tip the scales to what we deem “good”. Believe me. In lieu, you aspire to incorporate both. This is present in every story, religion, philosophy, and science. Heroes and villains. Cures and illnesses. Angels and devils. Life sucks when you aren’t negative or positive enough. But what is enough, and what is too much or too little? Let us answer, cupcake.
The positivity-negativity dichotomy is a complex psychological interplay. Social sciences have examined this monster for years and we’ve just plunged beneath the surface. Human beings want a balance—the homeostasis I mentioned. But it does not always feel that way. Sometimes individuals want more and more. Others want less and less. Clearly, positivity and negativity are crucial psycho-constructs with complementary functions for our adaptation. Overemphasis on either results in maladaptive behavior and thought, and eventual harm.
Pessimistic Ancestry
Evolutionarily, humans developed with a strong inclination towards the negative. Negative bias has been integral for survival. Alertness of threats. Motivation to avoid risk. The bias reflects our ancestors’ needs to prioritize survival. It can be observed in how we approach uncertainty. Think of how you felt when a deadline was approaching, when taking your driver’s license practical, or when sitting exams. Colder than usual? Hyper-aware of things around? Mind racing? Threats—not meeting your boss’s expectations, not getting your license, or not passing the exam—were all around. You were slammed into a state of alertness and concentration. Stress.
Positivity has also played a part. It supported the social and inventive side of things. Bonding. Exploration. Experimentation. Creativity. Problem-solving. Positive emotions connect to psychologist Barbara Fredrickson’s Broaden-and-Build theory. It states that positivity expands our cognitive capacity, promotes resourcefulness, creativity, and social cohesion. In layman’s terms, positivity humanizes the human. Positivity and alliances go hand-in-hand. Imagine and contrast two instances: a team project with a pessimistic, critical leader; a team project with an optimistic, supportive leader. Which team wins? No contest.
Positivity and Negativity, Both Great
Don’t forget that positivity and negativity are healthy. Positive thinking is beneficial when it helps us pursue goals, build relationships, and recover from losses. Reframing things in the positive light and seeing setbacks as opportunities works for us. Generally, it is linked to superior health—like recovering from illnesses faster, due to reduced stress. However, this is all true only when positivity is grounded in reality. Overly optimistic thinking without acknowledgement of genuine problems results in disappointment and substandard risk-taking.
Whereas negativity serves a constructive purpose. When it is aligned with realistic assessments and cautiousness, it’s awesome. Constructive negativity ranges from constructive criticism to anticipating possible challenges and preparing for them. These are great. Constructive criticism inaugurates and supports self-improvement by highlighting areas for development. Realistic planning bolsters performance, as it maintains alertness of potential obstacles and encourages you to prepare and manage risk.
The Balance Cliche
Albeit, when either is overdone, things go sideways. Toxic positivity manifests as ignoring problems, avoiding critique, and delusion about personal capabilities. Legitimate emotions—fear, sadness, or frustration—are suppressed. Where emotional suppression is mentioned is bad news. From stress to diminished immune function, it sucks. Express yourself. Don’t hold it in. It will harm you, the environment, and those around.
Overdone negativity is no better. Outlined in many forms, chronic negativity can protrude as constantly perceiving negative intentions behind others’ actions and having a fixed mindset. Distrust. Isolation. Assumptions that your abilities or circumstances cannot and will not improve. No growth. No progress. All stress, anxiety, depression, and serious health implications short- and long-term.
Striking A Balance: The How-To
Aren’t we, like, biased and irrational? What do we do? Yes, but there are ways to incorporate a balanced perspective. A priori, ask yourself a few questions. Is my optimism or pessimism helping me move forward, or am I ignoring or overemphasizing potential risks? Am I dwelling on potential problems to the point of inaction, or am I preparing constructively? Can I identify the positives and negatives of a recent experience and consider how each perspective serves me? Ponder on these. Spend a few minutes. Future you will thank you.
As for the practical implications, here is what research recommends. Cognitive reappraisal and emotional regulation: reinterpret stressful situations to uncover constructive insights without disregarding difficulties and aim to cope adaptively—avoid emotional extremes. Mindfulness and self-awareness: observe your thoughts without immediate judgment, allowing yourself to feel a range of emotions without identifying with them—do not overindulge in positive nor negative thinking. Adopt realistic optimism: have positive anticipations while being aware of potential setbacks for the most “cognitive bang for your buck”. Practice constructive self-criticism: identify areas of improvement in a non-judgmental way and work on them without punishing yourself.
The Bottom Line
In conclusion, striking a healthy balance between positivity and negativity requires great care. It involves active, mindful adjustment. There is no one-size-fits-all formula. By becoming aware, you can utilize both positivity and negativity to enrich your life. Have at it. “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.” says Maya Angelou, “In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”