We therapists tend to favor positive thinking and especially positive self-concept, for good reason. Generally, positive thought, as opposed to the other kind, leads more often to good feelings. One reason for this is that in many situations a positive outlook about oneself produces behavior that simply works better. (It is generally important, of course, that such positive thought have at least a modest relationship to reality!)
I could say a lot more about positive thought, but that’s not really my subject. Negative thought has a place in our lives, too. I want to promote the virtues of negative thoughts, here – both their direct virtues and those we can derive, if we know how.
Let’s look in a little more detail at the two kinds of virtue that may be found in association with negative thinking:
- Inherent virtue: Negative thought is sometimes right. This is CORRECT negative thought. It tells us that such things as “Do not proceed straight across this valley, for there’s a swamp ahead, and you’ll get into it but you won’t get out, ‘cause you can’t swim!” This is obviously helpful thinking, though it’s hardly positive in nature.
- Derived virtue: All other negative thought is incorrect. While that isn’t helpful, we can still convert this problem into a good outcome. How to do that will be explained below.
When we notice that we’re not feeling good, and then find that we’re in the grip of negative thinking, especially about ourselves, we should suspect that we may be under the spell of an INCORRECT negative belief. We may well not know, initially, the exact nature of that belief, but once we become aware of it, our goal should be to reduce or eliminate its effect.
Sometimes we must get help to accomplish this – with the more complex and serious negative beliefs. The rest of the time we can often do the job ourselves.
I have written a new article at my professional website which deals in detail with this subject – Building emotional resilience: Finding and calming negative self-beliefs to decrease personal distress and become stronger. Sooner or later, we’re all affected by negative self-beliefs which well may be wrong, and we do well to work to correct them. In this piece, I offer a couple of ways to do this.
For years, I have used myself these methods, and I know they can work very well. I rely upon them, in fact. When I find myself getting in my own way because of negative self-belief, these are the methods I most often use for self-rescue.
Interested? You should be. I hope you check it out.
