Jul 17, 2022 18:00:00

Is it OK even if it is not 'positive thinking'? Experts say that negative feelings such as anger and regret also have unexpected benefits

As research results show that people with a brain that tends to sustain negative emotions tend to feel unhappy, negative thinking is generally considered bad, so people try to be as positive as possible. increase. However, experts explained that negative psychological states such as anger, regret, and anxiety, which at first glance seem to be disadvantageous, also have advantages.

Struggling with positive thinking? Research shows grumpy moods can actually be useful
https://theconversation.com/struggling-with-positive-thinking-research-shows-grumpy-moods-can-actually-be-useful-185883

According to Eyal Winter, who studies behavioral economics at Hebrew University in Israel, the field of psychotherapy in recent years has focused on ' positive psychology ' where mental health further enhances the well-being of already healthy people. Is spreading.

In positive psychology, the advice 'Let's cherish today and live in the present' is often given. This is by avoiding the negative emotions that Mr. Winter calls 'RAW emotions' by taking the acronyms 'Regret', 'Anger' and 'Worry', and focusing on the present. It can be said that the advice is aimed at avoiding regrets, anger, and worries about the future.

At first glance, it doesn't seem that hard to focus on now, but it's actually hard for humans, Winter points out. This is because, unlike simple animals that live by making full use of their instincts and reflexes, humans have survived the competition for survival by learning from past events and using them to plan for the future.

For example, “regret”, which makes you feel bitter when you look back on the past, is an essential mental mechanism to learn from your mistakes and not repeat the same mistakes. Similarly, anxiety about the future is important for profiting in the future and avoiding major mistakes. If you don't worry about the future at all, you may end up in a dire future because you don't focus on studying, paying attention to your health, or storing food.

As with regret and anxiety, 'anger' has proven to be a useful emotion. According to a 2010 study by Winter et al., Anger has the effect of protecting oneself from attacks by others and encouraging others to respect their interests. There are also research results showing that having some feeling of anger during negotiations leads to good results.

In addition, people are generally skeptical when they feel negative and are less likely to be fooled. On the other hand, being too optimistic tends to make unthinking decisions, which can lead to mistakes such as spending all of your money on projects that are unlikely to succeed. Excessive optimism can also lead to overconfidence and disrupt relationships, as well as unprepared and unsuccessful challenges to difficult tasks, blaming others at the end of the phrase. Sometimes.

From this perspective, Mr. Winter asked, 'So, do we really have to be more optimistic?'