Can negative thinking really sabotage your chances of success?
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
United States
September 4, 2007 6:06am CST
Do you think it's possible to be successful, even if you have an overly pessimistic or negative point of view? Do you think that you can still be a success in life or career if you have a "can don't" attitude? Can you be a success even if you hang out with negative people?
As for me, I'd say that my negative attitude has held me back on more than one occasion. For years I tried to see the worst in everything and ultimately found it. However, during the past few years, I've tried to be more upbeat about my chances of success and seen that it really does make a difference in the outcome of events. If only, because I am directly responsible for the amount of work that goes into that success. And, by thinking I will be a success, then I am more willing to work incredibly hard to make that result a reality.
And, I've seen that hanging out around negative people has made me feel like working less online. Sometimes when I hear others talking bad about My lot, it makes me feel less motivated, so I don't work as hard. And, maybe that's what the negative people want. Perhaps they want others to dwell in the same negative place where they live. Misery loves company, I suppose!
So, do you find that you pick up a negative attitude when you hang around others who feel the same way? Do you think their lack of motivation could lead to your own lack of success?
4 people like this
24 responses
@Lifeless (2635)
• India
4 Sep 07
I am sorry that I don't read that long discussions here on mylot, but I got the point from the 1st para itself...
I think negative thinking sure hampers ur way to success.. If u think negative, then there is bound to be less energy and enthusiasm to achieve ur ultimate goal.. Thinking positive keeps u up all the time, no matter how bad life has been to u.. If u think positive, u r bound to get out of the difficult times with ease.. I don't think negative, and even insist my close ones not to think negatively.. Negative thoughts ruin ur mind and u get tensed, which is purley unnecessary...
Dn't u agree with me???
2 people like this
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
5 Sep 07
That's phenomenal logic! And, yes, that is pretty much what I was getting at. I've always thought that good leaders must be those people who can push negativity aside and just keep going even while others would fall in their tracks.
Once I heard Donald Trump say that he never, ever allows negativity to affect him, it just bounces off, so that he can stay focused on his work. And, when someone does a negative thing to him, he just shuts them out of is life forever. Now that's cold. But, I guess you have to really know who your friends are. Me and him could never be friends. I'm way too hormonal and likely to chew him out over some tiny thing and then try to apologize later. Of course, by then it would be too late. It must be nice to not have feelings like the Donald! LOL! Thanks for dropping by. Good advice.
@gr8life (6251)
• Malaysia
4 Sep 07
Hello beautyqueen26,
I do believe that when we hang out around people who think negatively, we will soon get that negative thinking ourselves. It does influence us by hanging out around them, sooner or later. Whenever I want to do something and feel doubt about my decision, I always try to get second opinion from people around me. But, if most of them think that my decision is not the right thing to do, I will get influence sometimes. I will start to think that I can't make it as most people think that I can't. But sometimes too, I always think that if I don't take that path, I will never know what my chances are, whether I will be successful or the other way round.
1 person likes this
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
5 Sep 07
That is a very good point. I had not considered that.
@TDonald (1421)
• United States
5 Sep 07
Since success could be considered a positive thing, how could you get there being negative?
I think we are always successful, no matter what we do. Think about that! In your case you are successfully negative.
We always get what we think we deserve... consciously or unconsciously. So don't worry about being successful. Just ask yourself what you are successfully doing now. If you don't like the answer, make a new choice.
@weehihi (132)
• Philippines
30 Sep 07
yes..that's so true..it can hinder every little aspect in your life..hmmm your life itself..it will get us nowhere..if we think that we're not gonna make it, we really are not going to it..our mind creates an energy that transmits itself to everything around us..if you think that you're not gonna make it to that important meeting, chances are you wont..everything around you will conspire against you..you may be stuck in a traffic or get busted for speeding or have a blown-up tire .. anything..that's why thinking positive is really important..it not only will make us stress-free, it'll also lead us to success..when we think that all things that are happening to us are there for a reason and there's really nothing to fret out, then we'll be fine..successful people dont think that they'll fail. they believe in themselves and think that there's always a way to everything..and think that it's going to be okay soon..
@nkadam (76)
• India
5 Sep 07
Ya,from my point of view negative thinking looses the chances of our success.We must be optimistic towords our every goal to achieve it.If you pessimistic then you are not complete any goal confidently so you are lacking for your desired success.
@khazeemee (288)
• Philippines
4 Sep 07
i believe that you need to have a positive outlook in life for you to succeed.. i once read that it's not the reality that matters, it's your perception that will carry into reality!
1 person likes this
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
4 Sep 07
That's deep! Very old wisdom. I am surprised that I am only now hearing about it. But, it sounds true.
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
4 Sep 07
yes, i do believe that what we think will shape us to become the person that we are... also, the person that we associate with also have great influence in shaping us... i used to be a pessimistic person in the past... but now when i try to change my way of thinking and look at things at the brighter side, things start to work out really well for me...
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
5 Sep 07
It can and it has for most people. People who are negative seem to fall behind others.
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
5 Sep 07
It is impossible to succeed if you have a very negative attitude. How will you finish school if you do not believe that you can do it. Much less, ever find someone who is willing to hire you. I know for me, being around a negative person is extremely annoying.
I am trying to keep my head up and that person is constantly pointing out the negative things and it breaks your spirit. I would rather not be around someone who is constantly negative.
I have a friend who is negative and I have to constantly keep correcting her and it can be so draining. I feel sorry for her a lot, because she does not have many real friends and it is no wonder.
@daryljane (3406)
• Philippines
4 Sep 07
you know what beautyqueen26..i have this thinking up until now.." take risk in anything you do, you might soon realize that what you did is the real source of happiness!!"
you need to be positive in anything you do..make sure also that you ask other people is they have gone through that kind of experience and learn from it. dont believe in regrets, you have the power to change things, do it, if not chalk it up into experience and simply leave it. :)
@wondericequeen (7876)
• Hong Kong
5 Sep 07
Yes I think so. I think at least it takes away certain energy in the body to worry about non-existance stuff instead of fully utilizing those to work on stuff and make them happen. I think it's really necessary to believe in our abilities, if we come up with an idea, don't beat ourselves up, try it and see how it goes. I am sure everything happens for a reason, if it doesn't succeed this time, then you learn something and might succeed next time. I think strong belief and persistence are the key to success!
@gmakesmoney (2923)
• United States
5 Sep 07
I really do believe that negative thinking will cause nothing but negative results in your life. I've always been really optamistic when it came to giving advice to others or viewing anything that wasn't directly related to my life but when it came time to look at my own life it was always with a pessamistic outlook. And as a result I felt that I held myself back in jobs, relationships and on enjoying life in general and it really affected my health in bad ways too because I'm constantly stressed out. I find that motivation is easy to find but hard to keep so I do give up all too easy. I have been trying really hard to get past all of that and be more positive in my thoughts.
@ranitam22 (1146)
• United States
5 Sep 07
I think being around negativity and thinking negatively does sort of drain you and depress you. I think it does have an effect on your success and your motivation sometimes. I know when I'm depressed or mad about something sometimes working out or cleaning helps but I don't think I can really focus on anything important because my mind would just keep drifting back to my negative thoughts and sort of cloud my judgement. It's like that old saying "misery loves company". It's easier to stay down and out and do as little as possible than it is to get up and work hard to achieve your goals and expectations. It is an everyday process that one must continue to strive at from day to day. Keeping a positive attitude is not easy, but it does help you accomplish more and feel better overall.
@ssf12ster (488)
• India
5 Sep 07
yes its very bad to think negativey. you need to be with the right people.otherwise you will never come up in life and laso try to see what others are doing and look around you . simple.you can make out what is happening . if you are in a shell then you will never come out of it.extremely bad ofr your living!work hard and earn moe you getr a diff feeling altogetherif suceess is there in that then nobody can tkae away your happiness come what may!
@manzician (4727)
• India
4 Sep 07
Well, I personally do agree with the fact that if you are negative from mind, chances of being succesful gets minor. I always try to think positive and I believe in that highly. At the same time, we should also not grow over optimistic.
@samtaylorskykierajen (7977)
• Canada
4 Sep 07
I do believe it is possible but believe it would be a lot harder . A positive attitude will generally get one farther in life then a negative attitude .
When I am with others with a negative attitude , I find it is easier to adopt the attitude of those around me and find that I do tend to pick up on how they feel .
@carlaabt (3504)
• United States
4 Sep 07
I definitely think your outlook on things effects the outcome. I usually try to be pretty positive. I know I have a good life. There are times when it's hard to stay upbeat, though. When things happen, and you aren't sure how to deal with them. As long as you take a step back, and realize that you can get through it, you usually can get it through it that much faster.
As far as the people you hang out with, they do influence you more than most people know. Most people have a desire to be accepted. Because of that, you are going to conform to the people around you, if they are negative, you are going to become more negative. If they are positive, you might become more positive. It really depends on who has the strongest personality, though.
@elshaddai123 (3981)
• Kottayam, India
4 Sep 07
I am negative thinker and had enough problems., do not follow me.
@thefortunes (2367)
• Netherlands
4 Sep 07
Definitely so Beautyqueen26, kind of always known that, and I gotthe proof when i was depressed and unable to do anything worth mentioning. Back than I didn't have any stimulating thought or wish to do whatever. The company of negative people also devastated me more than i care to share, and the moment I pushed them out of my life I started to see things brightly, and stimulate myself to TAKE ACTION, and do something about my life, and success in the future. It makes a great difference, so one should alwaysd try to stay positive even when there doesn't seem to be any chance of successs. After the night there is always a day, and so is everything in life :)
@ladybug565 (2216)
• United States
4 Sep 07
I do think that negative thinking can sabbotage your success. I am a firm believer in the power of possative thinking!
