Y’know the oft applied theme that you must be positive to achieve or get anywhere in life? Would you be surprised to know that it doesn’t always work and isn’t a blanket approach for everyone?
“…If you want to sabotage defensive pessimists, just make them happy…”
“…If you’re the kind of person who’s always telling other people to look on the bright side, you might want to reconsider. Whether people succeed is not a matter of thinking positively or negatively, but rather whether they choose the strategies that match their thinking styles. As psychologists Heidi Grant Halvorson and Tory Higgins write in Focus, “It’s the fit that counts…””
“…And if you’re a defensive pessimist, when preparing for a performance that really matters, you might want to list your weaknesses instead of your strengths, and drink a glass of anxiety rather than a shot of confidence.”
Whole article from Adam Grant here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20131015140307-69244073-the-positive-power-of-negative-thinking
