Does eliminating the negative by accentuating the positive, mean we can ignore the negative side of human...?

Question

..nature completely? I would think that if we talked about the little silly things we ALL do,
they would have less power over us, and we could put them in their place!

Anthony Silva

Answer 1

One should accentuate the negative, while acknowledging the existence of the positive. The reason why problems never get resolved is because optimists are too busy denying that the problems exist.

Answer 2

I believe that "eliminate the negative, accentuate the positive" is a line from a Mel Torme song, the name of which escapes me at the moment. It was a feel good song and not to be taken to seriously.

We use the terms positive and negative as synonyms for good and bad which, in point of fact, they are not.

In general they refer to the presence or absence of something. In math they refer to numbers that are greater than zerro (positive) and less than zero (negatve). In physics they refer to the electrical charge of protons and electrons.

I suspect that people came to use positive a negative in place of good and bad because they didn't want to make "moral judgements". We think that by using them we are being objective. But all we did was change the words. It is still a moral judgement.

I believe that good and bad are perfectly acceptable words to use as is any other pair of complementary (not to be confused with complimentary) words that would fit a given situation. We are required to make judgements all the time. It is one of the functions of having a human brain.

The world we live in seems to be a world of complements (which, by the way, is what we most often mean when we say opposite); positive and negative, male and female, .light and dark, etc. Most often those things that we call opposites are matters of degree not of kind. When there is less heat we say it is cold. When there is less light we say it is dark.

Forget about accentuating the positive and elimanating the negative. Just try to think and act in a way that is beneficial to you and the people around you, and do the best you can to not think and act in a way that is harmful.

Answer 3

AC-CENT-TCHU-ATE THE POSITIVE (Mister In-Between)

(Johnny Mercer / Harold Arlen)

You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between

You've got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium
Liable to walk upon the scene

(To illustrate his last remark
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they do
Just when everything looked so dark)

Man, they said we better
Accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between
No, do not mess with Mister In-Between
Do you hear me, hmm?

Answer 4

We cannot ignore the negative side of human nature. However, even the concept of positive psychology states that we can learn to have positive attitudes. And for those who are spiritual, this is the very essence of hope.

Answer 5

The negative side is never eliminated. If it was eliminated a positive could not exist because there would be no comparison.
What we strive for is to focus on our positive side. This brings balace and harmony within ourselves, and once we do that our positive side shines and is what others notice.

Answer 6

Positive and negative are two sides of the same coin. How would you know what was hot is you didn't know cold? WE need to know far before we can know near. And the amazing thing is that it is all relative. I think the answer to your question is to walk the middle way! ( or think the middle way with a bit of compassion thrown in)

Answer 7

Instead Think in opposites.

Right - Wrong
On - Off
Light - Dark
North - South
Forward - Backward
Positive - Negative
Sin - Righteous
Dis-Obedience - Obedience
East - West
Life - Death
Left - Right
Accept - Deny
Up - Down
Heaven - Hell
Sunrise - Sunset
Truth - Lie
Natural - Spiritual

The Rationality of Opposites. Everything has a place already.

To deny one, one must deny all.
To accept one, one must accept all.

Answer 8

That is, in a way, the proving of man!

Not necessarily to ignore but to cast off the negative.

Answer 9

I don't think you understand your own words! You can't ignore something that's been eliminated. If it was gone how would you be able to pay attention to it?

Answer 10

clearly not. If you stub your big toe... now that is only 1/10% of your body, but it will get much of your attention. Try to focus on how blessed you are, and that hey its only a toe, you don't have cancer, that sort of thing.