It's a popular concept to "look only at the positive and to ignore the negative." But if you deny the existance of the negative, then how can you correct your faults? You can't correct what you don't believe exists. So you're only provided with half the picture--what is good--but oblivious to the other half of the picture--what is bad.
2007-03-25 11:00:23 · 6 answers · asked by tobias 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
It's a popular concept in positive thinking to "look only at the positive and to ignore the negative." But if you deny the existance of the negative, then how can you correct your faults? You can't correct what you don't believe exists. So you're only provided with half the picture--what is good--but oblivious to the other half of the picture--what is bad.
2007-03-25 11:01:55 · update #1
I see that pessimists get disappointed far less than optimists, they also deal with and prepare for bad times better. Ideally it's good to determine when it's best to be pessimistic and when its best to be optimistic.
2007-03-25 11:03:45 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are absolutely correct. The universal laws of nature always apply. You can't be aware of what is considered good without knowing and/or understanding what is bad.
Is the glass half full (optimism), or half empty (pessimism)? Well, the answer is both.
Have you ever considered the multiplication laws of algebra?
+ multiplied by + = +
+ multiplied by - = -
- multiplied by - = +
Don't you find it interesting that a negative multiplied by a negative is always positive?!
2007-03-25 15:08:57 · answer #2 · answered by unknownsoldier1st 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is important to distinguish optimism and pessimism in accordance to realism. Optimism can foster confidence, a much needed asset to attain success. Yet optimism taken to the extreme, can blind a person into a false sense of security and under prepare them. Pessimism on the other hand, or better stated as the acknowledgment of potential failure, fosters our desire to hone and acquire the needed skills to overcome this potential failure. But yet again, like optimism, extreme pessimism will blind us to believe that we are incapable of success, relegating us to a state of apathy.
We must look towards optimism for confidence, but rely on pessimism to realize the daunting task ahead. Those most successful are capable of a balance between the two.
-Kerplunk288
2007-03-25 11:19:49 · answer #3 · answered by Kerplunk! 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My philosophy.. Prepare for the worst but hope for the best.
Positive thinking is not about ignoring the negative aspects of yourself or your life. Its about channeling the negativity around you into positive actions and thoughts about yourself and your life (and in turn others)
2007-03-25 12:24:39 · answer #4 · answered by shea 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
when they say think positive that means in regard to yourself. you can only make a decision if you know the truth. you can't ignore what you see hoping it will go away, you have to take responsibility for yourself and make your life better, as for the world, it's better to say "i want peace" then "i don't want war".
you know what i mean?
2007-03-25 12:33:00 · answer #5 · answered by lifeoutsidethecircle 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are contradicting yourself, "ignore the negative ,is not denying its existence. The one who thinks he will win usually
does.
2007-03-25 11:28:34 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋