“Learning to distance yourself from all the negativity is one of the greatest lessons to achieve inner peace”—Roy T. Bennett.
Human beings are not perfect. They cannot claim that they have no physical, mental, or emotional weaknesses. An extremely beautiful-looking person according to our faulty judgments could have the most disgusting character while someone referred to as ugly can be endowed with piety. Food which may not appeal to us as savoury could be full of vital nutrients, whereas a delectable item may have unhealthy effects. The same principle could be applied to events as well. For example, the positive aspect of flooding is the fertile alluvial soil deposited by the angry rivers which has beneficial results for agriculture but of course, they also bring about a lot of destruction. Undoubtedly, when tragedy strikes there are casualties or heartbreaks, but their outcome could be the discovery of new talents, opportunities, and different possibilities.
We humans tend to either demonise people or place them on such a high pedestal that they appear like gods. This is a usual practice, especially in religious and political cults where the protagonist is either Satan or a Saint. These idols are looked upon with so much veneration that even the slightest damnation on the part of an opponent could be met with a disproportionate reaction. It is difficult to knock sense in the minds of blind followers who are unwilling to accept that their gurus are fallible and are prone to vulnerabilities—the yin and yang of human conditions.
The idea of positive thinking is to see the sunshine behind a dark cloud; to discover the best out of the worst; to observe the good and to ignore whatever is unpleasant if it cannot be corrected or remedied. People have both positive and negative qualities but one needs to strike a balance when passing judgements. We must also remember that we too are being judged by others and our imperfections can be as detestable as we consider those of others. Appreciating and propagating someone’s goodness decreases unfavourable elements, spreading healthy and cheerful vibes. The world deserves a much better, clearer, and benevolent environment as there is already too dense an atmosphere of conflicts, wars, chaos, and unrest.
People often tend to find negativity in positivity due to a cognitive bias called “negativity bias” which means our brains are naturally wired to pay more attention to negative information as it was evolutionary advantageous to focus on potential threats for survival
When one exposes others or mentions some of their wrongdoings, particularly to undo their noble work, one is stripping one’s self in public. It just shows the amount of resentment one has for someone who is held in high esteem. If millions of people are praising someone’s exalted deeds and only one person is trying to undermine them by condemnation of, for example, being an illegitimate child, one wonders the kind of intended objective for such outbursts. This is as if birth or human vulnerabilities give or snatch the right to become benevolent or do good for humanity. Trying to cover up light with one’s bare hands does not prevent it from passing through.
According to an AI-generated overview, people often tend to find negativity in positivity due to a cognitive bias called “negativity bias” which means our brains are naturally wired to pay more attention to negative information as it was evolutionary advantageous to focus on potential threats for survival, therefore when someone is expressing positivity, people may unconsciously search for flaws or possible downsides.
For example, a lady was praising a very positive-minded person before a third person, who immediately retorted back that there was nothing exceptional about being positive and that there was no harm in being resentful or grousing. Such is the attitude of those who are keen on seeing negativity in positivity because overly enthusiastic positivity is interpreted as inauthentic forcing them to look for underlying negativity.
Thinkers believe that two types of emotions dictate the decisions we make in our lives. These are either love or fear. Where love is reflected in compassion, happiness, and gratitude, fear is prominent in cynicism, anger, jealousy, and anxiety. Personalities that exude the former emotion spread light and generate positive vibes having beneficial effects on themselves and those who interact with them. Those who are overpowered with fear are the ones that emit darkness giving off negative energies that can prove destructive. A common example would be that of forgiveness which quickly calms down a volatile situation whereas revenge merely exacerbates an already fiery condition.
Amid these negativities, the positive-minded put in efforts to consciously spread kindness, generosity, and compassion—hallmarks of humanity. Coming from any adverse background or circumstances, some people disregard their predicaments, break all taboos, and emerge like a butterfly from the cocoon of suffering. There is no question that negative experiences have a stronger impact on the mind than the more sublime. One may forget the grandeur of a prince’s wedding, but one can hardly erase a daylight murder witnessed on a busy street.
Viewing goodness with a pinch of bitterness is the principal characteristic of cynics who probably envy someone’s popularity or fame based on their noble acts. To demean their work, the best way out is to look for that piece of information that can blacken their faces and reduce their value in the eyes of their followers because as H.G. Wells commented: “Cynicism is humor in ill health”.
At this juncture, one cannot but help quote Lizzie Velasquez who says: “You don’t have to live up to anyone else’s standards, you don't have to look like anyone else, you don’t have to compare yourself to anyone else. You being you is enough, and you putting your positivity and good vibes out into the world, once you get to that point absolutely everything will fall into place”.