Seth's Blog: The problem with positive thinking

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/09/the-problem-with-positive-thinking.html

by qeek • 17 years ago

25 20 17 years ago

sethgodin.typepad.com

Positive thinking is a good start but positive acting is even better. For instance it works perfect in raising children. See Triple P http://www.gov.mb.ca/triplep/

gruseom4• 17 years ago

This piece is surprisingly profound. Here is the key insight:

Negative thinking feels good.

I think this is exactly right.

A compounding factor is habit. Once you've being doing the same thing over and over, it feels good to keep doing it and uncomfortable not to.

Another reason why negative thinking feels good is that it's passive, and it's easier to be passive than active.

kareemm• 17 years ago

negative thinking feels good because it proves us right when things go wrong. it's easy to make things go wrong when you believe that'll happen. that dopamine hit when you're right feels damn good.

>Another reason why negative thinking feels good is that it's passive, and it's easier to be passive than active.

negative thinking absolves one of responsibility. you can think "this plan won't work, so i'm gonna sit back and watch it fail" and enjoy being a critic instead of a participant.

ektimo2• 17 years ago

Negative thinking feels bad. Maybe he's never actually experienced it. A better explanation is needed.

gruseom4• 17 years ago

The statements "negative thinking feels bad" and "negative thinking feels good" are not contradictory at all, though they may appear so. The way in which it feels bad is obvious, but the way in which it feels good is not, and takes self-observation and honesty to detect. The effort is well worth it, though, because it provides a way out of the conundrum. If I'm only aware of how they feel bad, then negative thoughts are something that happens to me; but once I become aware that they also feel good, I see them as something that I'm doing (or at least acceding to), and I can withdraw that participation.

My experience has been that one has to persist with this concept until the initial indignation ("how dare you say that I'm enjoying this pain") dies down. Then a whole new array of psychological options opens up. It's fascinating. But challenging.

charlesju2• 17 years ago

In regards to running a startup I have found that analyzing the worst case scenario (negative thinking) has helped shape smart decisions a lot more than positive thinking. I find that this is especially true with entrepreneurs where positive thinking has frequently been the downfall of many great companies (ie. build products -> make free -> ??? -> make money)

gruseom4• 17 years ago

You're not talking about the same thing. It's entirely possible to analyze worst-case scenarios without feeling overwhelmed, miserable, or doomed. Indeed the analysis will be better that way.

charlesju2• 17 years ago

I never said negative thinking is overwhelming. I think it's exactly the opposite. Once you can come to terms with your worst-case scenario (ie. quitting and getting a job again when it fails), it frees a lot of burden and helps you work harder.

bkovitz2• 17 years ago

What is "positive thinking"?

radioactive21• 17 years ago

it is thinking positive.

bkovitz2• 17 years ago

The term is just so damned vague. If I buy a stock and think the price will go down, is that "negative thinking"? If I'm miserable where I work, would it be "positive thinking" to tell myself that I like it there?

My current understanding is that "positive thinking" is a lot like "having an open mind": social gamesmanship where you say "I disagree with you" but in a way designed to make the other person look bad, at least in the eyes of people who don't both to find out what the words are supposed to mean.

jdavidson2• 17 years ago

Any one have links to the evidence mentioned for the effect of positive thinking on performance?

Alex3917• 17 years ago

Most of the research on this comes from the field of educational psychology. The specific term that you would search is 'self-efficacy'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-efficacy

stse2• 17 years ago

Also "Performance Psychology" which as its origin in sports.

stse2• 17 years ago

This is a great post and should almost be a sticky here on Hacker News. I've been involved in some performance oriented activities both in school, business, sports and the military. I have never seen anyone succeed by focusing on the problems.

When focusing on problems or prematurely on the solution, you'll get anxious and start seeing problems everywhere. The planning process will get more important then the actual implementation and you'll focus on the smallest problems. Even things that will go away by themselves.

Then without knowing it you'll be one of those people who asks "why?" instead of "how?". And I, like most, don't want to be around a person like that.

Seth's Blog: The problem with positive thinking

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