Is negativity such a bad thing?
By Paul S Allen,
The next time someone accuses you of being negative, ask yourself: “Who has the problem?”
Someone who appears to be happy and cheerful with a smile on their face and a song in their mouth may actually be deluded and blind to the circumstances around them.
I give you permission (not that I need to) to be negative.
Acknowledging your current situation might just be the catalyst for change you need.
“This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end — which you can never afford to lose — with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.” Admiral James Stockdale 1923 – 2005
Stockdale did not deny his circumstances (prisoner of war, Vietnam, 1965 – 1973) – he acknowledged them. Stockdale did not lose faith although I am sure it was tested. Where others did not last, he did – not by being optimistic but by being a realist. Not all situations are under your control and sometimes the circumstances are genuinely dire – no amount of false hope will change that.
Negativity often highlights an underlying issue that needs to be addressed, and suppressing it denies the opportunity to bring about a solution. Acknowledge it, speak up, speak out.
No change ever happened to improve a situation without someone first being critical, negative or rebellious.
Will people be offended? Yes .
Will leaders like it? No.
But having – and voicing – a negative thought is not wrong. Being critical is essential. Disagreement is necessary.
Paul S Allen blogs at thewaterside.co.nz.
Comments
ed bernacki
This column reminds me of a conversation I once had about how a specific program was good but seemed to lack elements.
I was then told, “Well, I prefer to see the glass as half full, not have empty like you…”
Ouch…a pretty harsh judgement when I was thinking about how we could make it better.
I later thought of an appropriate response.
“The issue is not whether the glass is half full or half empty. Perhaps the issue is that I can see twice as much opportunity here. Would you like to explore what I can see?”
This seems to work.
You could argue that people who see the glass as half full are satisfied with the status quo and those who see it as half empty are creating a focus for future innovations.
There is value in studying why something is only half full.
ed bernacki
This column reminds me of a conversation I once had about how a specific program was good but seemed to lack elements.
I was then told, “Well, I prefer to see the glass as half full, not have empty like you…”
Ouch…a pretty harsh judgement when I was thinking about how we could make it better.
I later thought of an appropriate response.
“The issue is not whether the glass is half full or half empty. Perhaps the issue is that I can see twice as much opportunity here. Would you like to explore what I can see?”
This seems to work.
You could argue that people who see the glass as half full are satisfied with the status quo and those who see it as half empty are creating a focus for future innovations.
There is value in studying why something is only half full.
Paul S Allen
I agree Ed, the half-full/empty glass can be a great thing. read my post http://paulusthebrit.wordpress.com/2010/04/12/why-a-half-empty-glass-is-a-good-thing/
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