Hi All:) ..Why do people hold on to negative emotions?:)?

Question

Thanks, for answering, in advance!:) ..

I see some nice answers, keep it up!:))

Answer 1

hi Kimberly. bcuz negative emotions are familiar and strangely comfortable. They might be in misery but at least it's a familiar misery. I think also the negative emotions gives them a sense of self or some false power. Maybe it's a defense against getting hurt or wounded? I know people who are negative who never open up. They use that negativity and hurt feelings from past experiences as a weapon cuz they've been hurt before and don't wanna be hurt again. So I believe there is some fear involved there.
Mostly I think it's fear of letting go---those emotions give them an identity and if they let go of that negativity who would they be?

Answer 2

Not all people do this, just some people. The reasons are many and varied. Mostly it is done out of ignorance. People just do not know a better way.

Some people want to be a victim. Their whole life revolves around real or imagined emotional damage to their life. They never seem to be happy, but are less happy when they have nothing to complain about. They never express any positive emotions and exaggerate or generate negative emotions to whine about.

Some people do not know how to forgive or forget. These people do not see themselves as selfish, but still tend to dwell upon past wrongs done to them instead of any positive events in their lives. They tend to do this for attention. The negative emotions are usually more dramatic than the positive emotions in their point of view.

Some people think that they have dealt with negative emotions only to find out later that what they did was bury them in their unconscious mind. Here they fester and continually pop back out to disrupt the life for even decades. This is often true for the "strong silent type" who puts on emotional airs of being superior because their emotions are under control.

Often a person forms an attachment to an emotional state. This is done for reasons of familiarity. The negative emotion which is known is the choice over an unknown emotional state which might be feared. Even if other options are known, they are not always chosen.

Some people mistake negative emotions for "good lessons learned." This is not always the case. Often negative emotions are a response to some situation which is repeated over and over with no change in bad results.

And remember that there are still people out here who know how to express their emotions (positive and negative) and get on with their lives without holding on.

Answer 3

Perhaps because it is natural. We have this thing called "memory" and if something particularly nasty has hurt us to the degree we cannot forget it, we will also keep the "emotion" that accompanies it. Most people would not purposely choose to hang on to a negative emotion - after all, it doesn't feel great and who wants to deliberately be miserable! Most people do not know how to rid themselves of it - there are learned techniques for ridding oneself of negativity - perhaps if our children were taught this in school there would be less people holding on to their negative emotions. But I think the real answer is people hold on to negative emotions for the same reason they hold on to any emotion - we are all different - we have different reactions and responses to events - some of us are more highly evolved and can get over things more quickly than others - some of us need to be taught HOW to rid ourselves of negative emotions... there isn't one simple answer to your question.
I pose another question to you though... what IS a negative emotion? Why do we suppose holding on to a negative emotion is worse than holding on to a happy one? Maybe there needs to be a balance and maybe that is why they exist? What are you calling a negative emotion? Perhaps emotions just "are"... why label them positive or negative?

Answer 4

Because they dont think it to be negative . For them it is the right choice which they have made and those who do not follow them are fools .
Be it any case , any reason, human mind will let negativity stay if experiences with regards to people , place , event etc has not come out as expected and has resulted in some damage .
These negative emotions are given home to settle scores in future & get even . Simple as that .

Answer 5

Depends. Some find it hard to let go. I recently let alot go after seeing an ex after years. I had nothing but bad emotions towards him, and when I seen him face to face again, heard his end of why he did things he did...I was able to let go. I held on to it until I got the closure I wanted. Some just do it because they already hate mankind, just want another reason. For me, I only hold on to those when it comes to people I really trust. Its like, if these people can harm me in some way, I am open to just anyone doing it. Now, I just let it out as I go..holding it in makes it even worse..and you develop even more negative emotions.

Answer 6

be cause negative emotions are comfortable. It's what we're all used to. To actually resolve a problem, take a lot of emotional work. It requires looking at yourself in a light that you may not find flattering.

Answer 7

For some people, all they see around them is negative, so they have nothing else to hold on to because, whether out of choice or not, that's all that they see.

Answer 8

I'm not sure about everybody else..but for me right now, I'm trying to get over a relationship thats ending and the only way i can get over it without crying too much is to remember why it has to end. Cause when i think of all the good things, i start to cry or change my mind about ending it even though i know it needs to end.

Answer 9

Same reason the first version of the Matrix did not work. People measure their lives and feel more connected to humanity through shared troubles and common obstacles that we band together to overcome.

People learn more by their failures than they do from their successes. If every single day of our lives was successful and happy, we would not feel as "alive" as we would through having bad days to remind us just how good "good days" are.

Answer 10

ppl prefer to hav some emotions as opposed
to no emotion so if they coudn hav positiv ones
they'l hold on to the demons