Essay Example on Embracing Negativity: How Negative Thoughts Can Lead to Positive Outcomes

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade — this is what everyone says in an attempt to maintain a positive mind in the wake of adversity. You could also hear one say, "Fake it till you make it," and this is all in the name of achieving positivity. Our societies shape our way of thinking and behavior, and I believe that the concept of advising each other on positivity is also a product of society's norms and values. How the world works is that the majority is always right; hence, to follow the many is always right. Well, I have to say that I do not believe that the majority is always right. Negative impacts can affect anyone's life positively. I am a curious soul and prone to negative thinking; that is why I can tell you from experience that what I presume away from the norm is true. I am here to remind everyone that there are two sides to a coin; hence, negativity, if reflected upon carefully, is very beneficial. I would like to define negativity and then explain how it is possible to achieve happiness while being negative.

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Firstly, I will define and elaborate on the concept of negativity, which according to Hawkley (2013) stems from negative thoughts, which stand for cognitions concerning a person, the world or other people featuring unpleasant anticipations, attributions and perceptions. What one perceives from a particular situation as bad as what people refer to as having a negative attitude towards something. Growing up, my parents always taunted me about my negative attitude towards life, saying that life is too harsh; hence, we should go easy on ourselves. Initially, I could not comprehend, but as time went by, they kept repeating it to me, and the twists and turns of life gave me a deeper understanding of the concept. My curiosity grew on this issue, considering harbouring negative thoughts was for me as some kind of disease. I figured that having a negative attitude was not so bad since it prevented me from making many mistakes, and helped me lower my expectations. Low expectations meant I could not be disappointed, and the less the disappointments, the happier one becomes.

Secondly, I would like to introduce you to some of how one can benefit from negativity. Forgas (2014), explained that a negative attitude could act as a defence strategy from the power of gullibility. Having negative thoughts opens up one's mind to the reality of this world which is full of deception. A negative mind screams caution, meaning that it is difficult to deceive someone who is always on the lookout. Forgas stated that the social world, as we know, it functions based on information considered potentially misleading because it is untested. The other point to consider in understanding the positive effect in one's life because of negativity is the fact that one has low expectations with a negative attitude. When one anticipates nothing, then they can hardly obtain emotional damage because of zero disappointment. Sasaki et al. (2013) were keen to state that if a person has minimized expectations, it reduces their pressure considering they expect the worst and preparing for adversity motivates one to direct their anxiety towards a good outcome.

Another scenario where negativity gives birth to a positive outlook in one's life is the experience one gets from unpleasant emotions. Experience is a teacher because that is how life teaches us. Waking up one morning to find that the wife you cherished, and almost worshipped for over five years swindled you of all your money is unpleasant. However, through such an ugly experience, one will learn that life is unpredictable; hence, it is always good to expect the worst and prepare for the aftermath. One can also learn not to trust blindly because deception is part of humanity hence take precautions. One can also learn that nothing lasts forever, so living life to one's content is better, and that happiness comes from within not because of someone else. Baker et al. (2014) described negative emotions as a motivator of problem-solving behaviors. According to Baker et al. (2014), despite negative experiences and emotions being unpleasant, they induce awareness of one's problems, which in turn encourage values that enhance problem-solving.

The last point I would like to elaborate is the concept of defensive pessimism. We can always turn our bad experiences into something wonderful. Under the scorching sun, farmers make hay, not because it is pleasant but because the desired objective is good. We have probably heard or seen cases where good detectives and police officers are people who lost their loved ones in the hands of criminals. Losing a loved one through a gang is horrible, and it leads to one harboring negative thoughts and emotions towards gangs or even the judicial system for not having apprehended the culprit. On the bright side, such prejudice can help the bereaved decide to join the police force to show them that they could have done a better job. This scenario influences the life of such a person positively. Norem and Chang (2002) commented that one might choose to use negativity as a strategy for achieving a certain desired goal. An individual could set very low anticipations so that they can use all their energy to reflect on all possible outcomes of a particular scenario, hence forming a means of attaining the set objective.

Conclusion

In a simple summary, negativity can stir positivity in one's life. Negative perceptions are what renders one as a negative person; however, such attributions can turn one's life for the better. Remember to make lemonades from the negativity inside you, for instance, protect yourself from gullibility and avoid being a victim of deception. If you ever experience a situation, where you feel you cannot move past, embrace it learn from it, and take precautions for the future. Lastly, negativity does not have to cripple you, use it to bring a much-needed change in your life and the world as well. Thank you for listening and being such a great audience. I want you all to remember that you are all beautiful people, whether with positivity or negativity.

References

Baker, L.T., McNulty, J.K., & Overall, N.C. (2014). When negative emotions benefit relationships. In W.G. Parrott (Ed.), The Positive Side of Negative Emotions (pp. 101- 125). Guilford https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303189116_When_negative_emotions_benefit_relationships

Hawkley L.C. (2013) Negative Thoughts. In: Gellman M.D., Turner J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_1563

Sasaki, J., Sakamoto, S., Moriwaki, A., Inoue, K., Ugajin, K. (2013). The recognized benefits of negative thinking/affect in depression and anxiety: Developing a scale. Japanese Psychological Research, 55(3), 203-215. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpr.12008

Forgas, P.J., (2014). Can sadness be good for you? On the cognitive, motivational, and interpersonal benefits of negative affect. In G.W. Parrott (Eds), The Positive Side of Negative Emotions (3-36). Guilford Publications. https://www.guilford.com/excerpts/parrott.pdf?t

Norem, K.J., & Chang, C. E. (2002). The positive psychology of negative thinking. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58(9), 993-1001. https://homepages.se.edu/cvonbergen/files/2012/12/The-Positive-Psychology-of-Negative-Thinking.pdf