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Negative thinking is the favourite whipping boy of psychologists, self-improvement mavens and spiritual gurus. It is riled as the biggest obstacle on the path of success and inner peace. Positive thinking is being sold as the cure-all for the maladies of the world. But it seems positive pills simply don't work for some people. However hard they may try they can't help thinking of the worst before an important event ? an examination, interview or presentation. And yet many such people do surprisingly well. The reason, according to Julie K Norem, author of the book The Positive Power of Negative Thinking, is that negative thinking is an effective strategy for managing anxiety. It helps people succeed by preparing them for the worst-case scenario. On the contrary, forcing people to think positive always may be counterproductive. She has a point. Unchecked optimism can be perilous. One may become easy prey to the 'it-could-not-happen-to-me' syndrome. Such people are more likely to ignore health warnings, avoid taking insurance and overlook the fine print and the clever 'conditions apply' caveats. An overdose of positive thinking can be far more hazardous in the sphere of public decision-making.
In her book, Never Saw it Coming: Cultural Challenges to Envisioning the Worst, American author Karen Cerulo argues that the American trait to think positive has led to 'positive symmetry' in viewing future events. It makes one to focus only on desirable and good outcomes and overlook the worst-case scenarios. She goes on to cite 9/11 and the NASA Challenger disasters as examples of an inability to imagine and be prepared for a scenario where things might go hopelessly wrong. This inability can be a liability in diplomacy as well.
It leads one to underestimate the adversary. This is precisely the trap that Napoleon fell into during the Russian campaign. Hitler then repeated this folly. Buoyed by early victories, he marched into Russia ignoring the wiser counsel of his field marshals. It was a decision that proved disastrous. The analogy can be applied to politics, business and other fields where risk and competition hold the key to success. As a society, therefore, it would do us well to see the flip side of positive thinking and pay heed to the doomsayer within us and without.
its thought-provoking..
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