Do You Find Some People Always Negative?

[Lincolnboy2]

Originally Posted by Diplomat Don

I think this most closely represents how I feel.

I was a cop for 35 years in Los Angeles and put up with a lot of crap! The public demanded that everything I did was done perfectly and fairly. Now that I'm retired.....I demand the same of others and I'm not very tolerant of those that don't follow the rules.

Don, you have sure earned the right! Hats off to ya!

[Chuck 1935]

Originally Posted by Lincolnboy2

I have always been more of a pessimist than an optimist. I disguised it under the pretense of "Well, I'm just a realist"

I still have a lot more pessimism that optimism, overall. So I recognize it immediately in others.

I have a dear friend who is the first to jump on the 'negative' bandwagon, no matter what, where, when, it's always the downside he brings up first. Then an afterthought is the upside. I do notice it getting worse as the years pile up on us. I would almost classify this pattern as 'bitter'

I also notice as other, younger friends of mine get older, they too seem to lose their always up and happy selves to more of a grumpy and pessimistic mood.

Do any of you have people in your lives like that?

I used to but dumped them because they were like the News, everything was bad and getting worse. There was thread on here titled Letting Go.
Most of the post were about getting older and what they would have to give up rather than about trying someting NEW. Most of the posts were folks in their 60's WHAT !!
There are many young or young thinking people out there that would rather talk about their next great adventure than talk about what stool softener is best ! Search them out, it will add years to your life. It will make you look younger too !!
Keep smiling,( It will make people wonder what you are up to )

[Dunner]

Originally Posted by wnytaxman

Although the best comment I have ever heard about stupidity is "Stupidity is a condition. Ignorance is a choice!"

Originally Posted by Lincolnboy2

I gotta remember that one!

I got another one to remember.

"There's a cure for ignorance, but none for stupidity".

And of course: "You can't fix stupidity"

And "Here's you sign". Courtesy of Bill Engvall.

[wnytaxman]

You can add to it with "You can't fix stupidity, but you can vote them out!"

I saw that on a billboard in Texas.

[Dunner]

[JimM68]

this thread is one of the best I've read today.

May I never turn into a "grumpy old man"!

[WheelingIt]

I find it kinda interesting that people seem to mix negativity with getting things done right or being impatient. Maybe most people think optimists are weak and/or wishy washy? I honestly don't think there's a connection at all.

I'm a perfectionist and always demanded the very highest of my employees (and certainly no-one would call me patient, especially my DH), but at the root I'm a strong optimist. You can go through an experience and spend your energy and focus on everything that went wrong, or go through an experience and decide to focus on what went right and/or getting it more right the next time. It's still a choice, and you don't have to be weak to decide on a positive approach. Just my 2 cents anyway...

[Davdeb1]

I find slightly more people are negative than positive. Maybe it's just being mistrustful, I'm not sure.

Life and the world is so beautiful, and to spend time complaining, or worrying about getting ripped off or not trusting everyone is just a waste of precious time. If you are cheerful, and upbeat with people, you can usually get good results.

[sdennislee]

The ones I avoid are the ones who like to tell you something they never owned, never tried will not work.

As soon as you mention you are going to try (fill in the blank) they are quick to say that it won't work. If you quiz them a bit you find out they have basis for their comments.

[Dogpatch]

In most of my earlier years, I worked for myself so always being optimistic was the only way I could deal with the trials and tribulations of owning a business. Nobody got my butt outta bed in the morning except me. It taught me the cup 1/2 full attitude I still carry today. I have a strong dislike for negativity in people. I get fed up with it real fast!

How boring to look for the fault in everything and do nothing but complain. Miserable sucks!

[Lincolnboy2]

I realized that my first post about negative people, this article goes hand in hand and is very interesting about people who are always correcting others. I too am guilty of this, but I find a very interesting read about people that always have to be right...........

The Need To Be Right

By Audrey Marlene

The Need To Be Right





Mr. Right

Are you a Ms. or Mr. Right, having a strong need to be right all the time? We all have that need but how strong is it? The need to take the credit quite often is a form of self-approval, a way of stroking the ego or compensating for some insecurity. It is not confined to any one culture, race or socio-economic status. It is something seen from the top down in every corner and cross-section of society. Because the insecurity is so strong these individuals have to try harder than normal to prove to themselves that they are great or important by believing they are right most of the time.

The person who feels that need most of the time is someone who needs to feel superior or empowered very frequently. By insisting on being right, they feel elevated above those who they can prove wrong. This individual will argue their point to the bitter end. They would lie, exaggerate, or do anything it takes to prove they are right. In the end, that person may feel superior but the impression left after they are gone is one of distaste and avoidance for that individual. Most people don't enjoy being around a know-it-all.

The underlying cause of the need to be right is fear. This is an deep-seated fear of being wrong and losing credibility or control. When someone disagrees, this individual feels threatened and goes on the defensive, trying desperately to maintain control so they can feel comfortably safe again.

Part of being a success is to recruit a network of people to learn from, to grow from, and to work with to achieve great things. Having the need to be right all the time turns people off and tunes them out. When you expect others to most often agree with your point of view, that is a symptom of having a strong need to be right over others. One must be open to other ideas and opinions in order to advance in life. Allowing others to take the credit creates a stronger network of people willing to cooperate and work alongside you.

Have you ever been told?

"Why does it always have to be your way?"
"It's your way or the highway."
"You're such a know-it-all."

The Need To Be Right - What Does It Mean?

The "need to be right" pattern of behavior is an accurate way to get a barometer reading of one's perception of themself. You can size up someone very quickly when you see this kind of behavior. Having a Mr. Right attitude all the time means:

You believe you are superior to others.
You will miss out on opportunities to learn from other people's opinions.
You have to be right to feel important.
Your thinking is linear or one-dimensional. You must work on being more open-minded.
You have a tendency to dominate a conversation, unable to converse properly, listen or have a normal back and forth dialog. You are only fixated on your opinion and cannot wait for the other person to finish speaking to counter their viewpoint. In some cases you may even interrupt the other person to interject what you need to say.
You have to prove you are right as a way of putting others down or criticizing them. It gives you a feeling of winning, which empowers you.
If you are wrong you feel flawed, inferior, or upset.
Your identity is dependent on your need to feel that you are right.

Maybe you or someone you know engages in this kind of behavior. This is not a healthy way to achieve your goals in life. It is a deterrent. You may have sensed resentment from others and not know why. Take a look inside and make the decision for change if you feel you fit into this pattern. Can you even admit to yourself that may be be suffering from the need to be right syndrome?

Inflexible Thinking

One way many people maintain their Mr. Right mentality is due to inflexibility in they way they think. When one is inflexible in the way they think, they:

Are unyielding in their opinions and beliefs and are unable to even listen to another point of view. The need to be right overpowers their thinking.
Feel threatened when someone disagrees with their opinion.
Become angry and make personal attacks in an effort to prove the other person wrong and to get them to agree to their point of view.
Become condescending and belittling.
Become extremely critical of others

The inflexible thinker lives life on the defensive, carrying a chip on their shoulder and an ego to back it up. Life becomes stressful and uncomfortable. Friends begin to alienate you. Coworkers try to minimize their contact with you. You are perceived as intolerable and difficult - having to walk on egg shells around you.

In working to achieve your goals in life a degree of flexibility and open-mindedness is required. The ability to hear other people's opinions and examine them in order to see what can be learned gives one an opportunity to grow and excel on their success journey. You can feel more at ease with life and your environment when you are more willing to give up the need to be right attitude. Others will be more comfortable around you and want to be part of your team. You will win friends and influence more people this way. Happiness will soon follow.

How flexible are you in your thinking? How often do allow others to share their opinions and learn something from them? Do you most often have to have things your way?

Give Up the Mr. Right mentality!

Giving up the need to be right all the time means you must improve your self-image. By working on improving your self-esteem and self-confidence, your insecurities will slowly disappear and your perception of you will undergo a transformation. As you self-image is transformed you will:

Be a happier person. A happier person is a more considerate person. A more considerate person is open to what others have to say. An open mind enables you to learn and grow. A secure person can engage in a back and forth dialog, giving generous input but walking away feeling good even though someone disagrees with their opinions.
Be a better listener, making sure you understand what someone is saying before you disagree with them. Listening not just for your turn to speak but to genuinely hear what others have to say.
Know who you are. A confident, secure people are sure of themselves. There are no doubts about where they fit in or having to prove a point to feel accepted. The matter of importance is the interaction with another and the opportunity to make a positive impact on someone's life. The need to be right attitude is nonexistent in people with a strong sense of self.
Be more willing to engage in a fair dialogue, waiting your turn to speak without feeling the need to dominate the conversation or interrupt when someone else is speaking.
Be unafraid to make mistakes, laughing at yourself when you do rather than feel inferior.
Be more humble. With humility, the ego is lost, which has a tendency to instigate the need to be right.
Give of your time in helping others. Acts of kindness allows us to build strong character. It teaches us how to put others first while feeling the joy of taking that step. It teaches citizenship, compassion, fairness and many characteristics that can help to remove the high need to be right attitude.

Take a step forward today and begin to make the transformation to achieving your optimum by curbing the need to be right.

Quotes on Being Right

"The truth you believe and cling to makes you unavailable to hear anything new." - Pema Chodron

"We learn to be right and to make everyone else wrong. The need to be right is the result of trying to protect the image we want to project to the outside. We have to impose our way of thinking, not just onto other humans, but even upon ourselves." - Don Miguel Ruiz

"What we can or cannot do, what we consider possible or impossible, is rarely a function of our true capability. It is more likely a function of our beliefs about who we are." -Anthony Robbins

"You can change your beliefs so they empower your dreams and desires. Create a strong belief in yourself and what you want."- Marcia Wieder
"When everybody gets to thinking they're right, that's when you know they've all just gotta be wrong." - Raphie Frank

"The more you know, the less you need to show." - Unknown.

"Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong." - Peter T. McIntyre

"Being right half the time beats being half-right all the time." –Malcolm Forbes

"To solve a problem or to reach a goal, you don't need to know all the answers in advance. But you must have a clear idea of the problem or the goal you wa

nt to reach." - W. Clement Stone .

[steelheadbluesman]

Right on! I learn new stuff every day, even on this forum. And don't even try to tell me I'm wrong.

Seriously, that's well worth reading!

[Dunner]

Those who think they are alway right, really annoy those of us who actually are.

[wnytaxman]

Of all the people whom I would love to hear say they were sorry and that they were wrong, none would make me happier than to have it be a politician. Have you noticed that people in politics, no matter what their persuasion, never seem to say they were wrong. Just an observation.