The Negative Side Of Positive People

We all aspire to be positive people. After all, we live in a society in which positivity is viewed as a favorable characteristic. But there is a general unspoken belief that those who are "overly" positive are faking it; that they can't possibly maintain a positive outlook or optimistic perspective at all times, in every situation.

Science tells us that this is true.

Negativity serves an evolutionary function and directly impacts our positivity, which in turn influences our explanatory styles of thinking and overall optimism levels. Our minds are sensitive to negativity because our very survival as a species was predicated upon our ability to detect and filter situations with negative consequences, such as entering a dark cave in pursuit of food and not being able to assess the likelihood of danger.

Positivity, on the other hand, carries limited benefits and is almost inconsequential to the possibility of loss of life stemming from the inability to predict negative outcomes anticipated through negative thinking. Positive psychology runs counter to the negativity bias, and some would argue that it attempts to contain it.

Those who work diligently and consciously to suppress negative thoughts in order to reprogram their thinking, can become positive people. The key is conditioning. But even so, psychologists contend that the complete elimination of negative thinking is not possible because positive thinking can be negative, just as our evolution as a species has taught us that negative thinking can be positive.

In essence, this means that becoming a positive person is a choice. Despite biology or psychology, awareness (of negative tendencies) and desire to become more positive are key drivers. So we should not view positive people as fake, but applaud them for their genuine efforts to overcome natural inclinations toward negativity. When successfully converted they reap numerous health and social benefits, and are more pleasant to be around.