Are you a negative person? How do I know if I have too negative thoughts? Discover how to identify the negative attitude and what to do about it.
We can all be one negative person at some point in our lives. But there are cases in which despair, anxiety and discouragement are always present. In fact, in order to neutralize one negative thought, people must have four positive ones. This is why there are more negative people than positive ones. So how do I know if I’m a negative person and what can I do about it?
Characteristics of negative people
The negative people They often behave in a way that reflects these types of thoughts. In reality, a negative attitude can end up influencing both the person and those closest to them. These are some of the characteristics that define people with negative thoughts.
- They always worry: The negative people They are constantly worried. This mentality is oriented towards the extreme need to always feel protected. In these cases, negative attitudes come hand in hand with feeling safe outside the comfort zone.
- They tell others what to do: It’s okay to give advice to people who ask you for it or who need it, but negative people They usually tell what others should do. Typically, these traits are characteristic of negative people because it is a sign that they have not solved their own life problems and fear that others have them too.
- They live in the default position: There is a neurological explanation for why some people have a more negative mentality These types of thoughts have to do with a part of the brain called the amygdala, which works like an alarm and is activated when there is a risk of danger, fear and bad news. According to research, this is a part of our brain that is predetermined as part of a fear escape mechanism and is routinely activated in all of us as it helps us ‘survive’. Unlike the negative people positive people develop the ability to evaluate and confront problems to counteract this mechanism.
- They are pessimists: Negative people are pessimists. This means always getting ahead of events to think that something bad will happen. This attitude is negative since it can contribute due to the effect of the self-fulfilling prophecy that it really happens as they are thinking.
- They cannot limit their exposure to bad news: At negative people They feed each other with news or negative information. In fact, research has shown how exposing yourself too much to this type of information contributes precisely to developing depression and anxiety.
- They are very sensitive to criticism: It is very likely that if you tend to have a negative and pessimistic attitude in your life you are too sensitive to criticism that is constructive for you. So much so that one of the characteristic traits of negative people is to interpret many comments as condescending or rude.
- They complain a lot: Be negative It is also related to constant complaints. In many cases a negative person will think that everyone else is against them. In fact, victimhood is related to this negative attitude towards life.
- They never move out of their comfort zone: By always being within a emotional negativity , people with these types of thoughts usually avoid leaving their comfortable zone. This is because they find themselves unable to face the possibility of further fear, discomfort, challenges or failures. Therefore, they are never tempted to try new experiences and are always condemned to live in a comfort zone full of pessimism.
- They love the word ‘but’ : A negative person They will be able to say something positive or congratulate you on your successes. The only problem is that these comments will always end with the word ‘but’. This implies that they will end up making the positive negative from their point of view.
- Low productivity: The lack of success can be due to many factors, but in many cases the negative attitude It is usually the main cause. Negative people generally think that they do not have enough skills to get what they want and end up being overly critical of themselves.
- They don’t see the good things in life: A negative person He does not recognize the good that can happen to him in his daily life. In fact, no matter how many positive things happen around them, they will always focus on the negative of it.
These are the main signs that can indicate if you are or are facing a negative person As we have expressed, having this type of catastrophic and pessimistic thoughts is something natural that comes as a survival resource in our brain. Despite this, you should know that there are ways to end this negative attitude. If these negative thoughts are affecting you, you should consult with a professional psychologist.