Constant worrying, complaining about anything and everything, lack of confidence, gloom and anxiety can be soul-destroying. These are the traits common among negative people. In life, as they say, there will be always good times and bad times too.
Consider this definition of negativity: “A tendency to be downbeat, disagreeable, and skeptical. It's a pessimistic attitude that always expects the worst. Negative outcomes are bad outcomes like losing a game, getting a disease, suffering an injury, or getting something stolen.”
It's natural to feel more pessimistic when things aren't going so well in our lives. Regular or even constant negative thinking can also be a sign of anxiety, depression, stress or low self-esteem. This sounds a bit strange, but negativity can also be contagious.
"It is too cold to take a walk." "I do not have the willpower." "I should have eaten less dessert." "I haven't written down everything I eat." "It was my choice. Next time I can decide not to eat so much." "I'm writing down everything I eat because it helps me make better choices."
Being pessimistic means you're always expecting negative things to happen, rather than being positive and thinking about all the possibilities that could come from a particular situation.
Negative people don't know that they are negative. They believe that they are completely rational, that they are realists.
A negative attitude can manifest itself in many ways. Some of the characteristics of pessimism are negative self-talk, blaming others, comparing oneself to others, having unrealistic expectations, demonstrating a lack of perseverance, and holding on to past experiences.
A toxic person is anyone whose behavior adds negativity and upset to your life. Many times, people who are toxic are dealing with their own stresses and traumas. To do this, they act in ways that don't present them in the best light and usually upset others along the way.
Only considering the least desirable result isn't realistic, it's just negative. Don't confuse realistic thinking with negative thinking. Realistic thinking is based in the likelihood that something could happen – positive, negative, or neutral. Focusing exclusively on negative consequences is only partially realistic.
Sometimes known as “energy vampires,” negative people can wreak havoc on your life if you don't have effective strategies to deal with them. These people may show poor boundaries, be chronic complainers, or be unable to accept responsibility.
Under the influence of a negative person, you might even second guess yourself on important decisions, feel sad, uncomfortable or depressed. Worse, you could even take on some of the same negative qualities you resent in a negative counterpart.
Negative emotions stop us from thinking and behaving rationally and seeing situations in their true perspective. When this occurs, we tend to see only what we want to see and remember only what we want to remember. This only prolongs the anger or grief and prevents us from enjoying life.
Whilst everyone experiences negative thoughts now and again, negative thinking that seriously affects the way you think about yourself and the world and even interferes with work/study and everyday functioning could be a symptom of a mental illness, such as depression, anxiety disorders, personality disorders and ...
Negative thinking can have several causes, including personal factors such as undergoing a traumatic experience. That said, scientists are finding evidence that certain mental health disorders play a critical role in the habitual formation of dark or negative thoughts.
The human brain has a natural tendency to give weight to (and remember) negative experiences or interactions more than positive ones—they stand out more. Psychologists refer to this as negativity bias. “Our brains are wired to scout for the bad stuff” and fixate on the threat, says psychologist and author Rick Hanson.
According to Mayo Clinic, there are four main ones to be exact: personalizing, filtering, catastrophizing, and polarizing.
Recurring negative thoughts can be a symptom of both anxiety and depressive disorders. Science has recognized two different forms of repetitive negative thoughts: rumination and worry.
Some examples of negative self-talk include: “I can't do anything right. I shouldn't even try.” “Nobody likes me, I should stop trying to make friends.”