Positives of negative thinking.

Dear All,
Srniketan's post "Are you in the 50's..?" set me thinking and prompted to post this thread, in the interest of a postive discussion on this subject. If it proves to be boring, now you know whom to blame.
Looking forward to an open discussion from the enlightened members.
Cheers,
Rrg

Positives of negative thinking​

All beings by nature are programmed to think negative. Human beings are no exception.
This stems out of the basic instinct of self protection and preservation. For instance, if a lion appears on the scene, the entire herd of deer runs for safety. Each deer in the herd assumes that the lion is after it and runs till it feels clear of the danger. Normally, this is true of all other animals also when faced with a danger from a mightier animal / force. Similarly, in the face of perceived danger, the first instinct of man is to flee – be it a bomb blast or earth quake or Tsunami … what so ever. Not thinking of the negative consequences and staying put could turn disastrous and prove to be foolish.
(That, when pushed to the limits even the so called weaker one’s retaliating also comes out of the same survival instinct only. The weaker one’s run till they realize they could no longer escape and then start to fight back, as much as it can. When it comes to the wilder animals, the wilder they are, the attacking instinct is more pronounced and hence their threshold much less. Even they retreat for survival when you fire a shot or light a fire. This in itself is a separate topic on evolution and may not be worthwhile discussing here. )
In the case of human beings, with the help of their sixth sense they analyze their cumulative experiences and arrive at the limit, up to which they may defy their basic nature, on case to case basis. But once the threshold is reached their basic natural instinct takes over. This threshold differs from individual to individual, based on his own exposures & mental conditioning.
If someone is very late returning home, first thing that comes to one’s mind is that something untoward could have happened. We first think of negative possibilities under a situation before reassuring ourselves that all would be well. By our experiences and mental training the threshold to think negative gets shifted further. But all the same, the moment the threshold is crossed the negative thoughts take over. For instance, if our son normally returns by 6.00 PM, consciously or unconsciously we might have fixed the threshold as 9.00 PM. Till then you are not overtly concerned. Thereafter we start worrying and start ringing up his friends, places normally he visits etc. Thus, thinking positive in any situation is a developed one and has a threshold.
Also, the threshold that we arrive at depends on the importance of the issue /happening to the individual. If our son is late we may start worrying beyond a time. This need not be so if the neighbour’s son is late. In this case, we may try to be more rational and try to be positive and urge the neighbor also to be so. This doesn’t mean that we are more positive than our neighbours. The issue is more important to the neighbor than us.
Take the instance of attending an interview. If our life depends on its success we are more concerned and the threshold gets lower. We tend to think more negative. On the contrary, if the result is not going to matter either way, we tend to be more positive, both during the interview as well as outside.
There is nothing wrong in thinking negative so long as one doesn’t get paranoid and thereby paralysed of action. Thinking and action are complementary to each other. Only if you think of the negatives, could you be in a position to plan & act positive to overcome the negative. Only when you think of the possibility of your house being robbed, do you install grills and other safety measures like getting a watch dog, employing a watchman etc. Thus, thinking negative is nothing but a form of managing the risks better.
"Some anxious people naturally access the power of negative thinking by using a strategy called ‘Defensive Pessimism’. They tend to focus on worst case scenarios and set lower expectations for success. What's interesting about this is that people who use this strategy tend to experience less stress about a situation, and have more success than anticipated. Their negativity motivates them to take action in hopes of a better outcome.
Defensive pessimism is an effective tool to help you harness the positive power of negative thinking. Used purposely with intention, it can help you feel more in control and make informed decisions. You are likely to achieve more positive results.
Only entertaining positive thoughts isn't wise or practical, especially when your well-being is at stake. Often, it isn't even honest.
Pushing down negative thoughts doesn't make them go away. They are still there, powerfully influencing you.
Negative thoughts alert you to real issues and difficulties. It isn't wise to refuse an ear to the voice in your head that tells you something is wrong when it very well may be. You may as well listen. Then decide if the thoughts are valid or need to be changed.
It also isn't wise to focus on the negative when something more positive is within reach.
Explore all possible outcomes, positive and negative. Take the time to look and listen within. Gather information. Talk with an expert and/or someone who cares about you.
Ask yourself what's the worst that could happen? And the best? What else could happen? How will you prepare for all these possibilities? What is the most likely outcome? What can you do now to increase the chances of positive results? Do you have other options? What feels best? Listen to the wisdom of your body and mind.
When explored and understood, intentional defensive pessimism and negative thoughts can be used to your advantage.
A negative emotion or thought shows you where you need to heal. They alert you to danger, when change needs to happen, conflicts need to be resolved, or action is required.
In this light, negative thinking is very positive". (Holistic Mind Body Healing article)
‘Plan for the worst and do your best’ could be the right motto.
Karma yoga tells us to ‘Do our best and leave the results to HIM’. Here not attaching ourselves to the end result is the key like the case of the interview where the result is acceptable to us either way. This level of mental conditioning may not be easily attainable by ordinary mortals, in day to day life. But, we could always endeavour to shift our threshold closer to this level to progress further. Towards this, being conscious of the negative aspects could serve as a positive tool.
Anbudan,
Rrg / 18<SUP>th</SUP> Nov ‘10