The Error of Positive Thinking
Positive thinking is not the answer to lifes problems.
It is like battling the mind with the mind. It cannot fundamentally change itself, only move things around.
With effort we can manage to overpower our negative thoughts for awhile. But eventually new situations will come up, things bad enough that all those negative elements will come flooding forth again.
Common thought is that there are only two ways that we can be internally. We either have negative thoughts, negative feelings or we can have positive thoughts and positive feelings.
This leads people to say that the best way to act is through some method or another to modify or replace the negative ones. Using some mental method to change our perspective on them such that we see the positive in the negative.
These people are correct, we are going to be happier (atleast some of the time) by focusing on the positive. Looking on the bright side of life if you like. But it does not deal with the issue of the negative elements within. It does not allow us to discover even greater peace and happiness.
A Better Way - Awareness
There is another way, a better way. This is to be aware in the world, in the present moment.
In this way we break beyond thoughts and feelings and they no longer have the strangle hold on us that they once had.
Being aware like this we can see what our thoughts and feelings are really like. We can realise that the difference between a positive thought and a negative thought is purely in our perception of them.
As we watch we learn more about each thought and feeling. This is not an intellectual learning, it is a matter of observation and directly perceiving.
We see things that we didn’t know were so before. We see underlying motivations for thoughts that we used to think were of the highest good and intention. When we first formed them we went along, not even realising that such underlying motivations existed below the surface.
Thoughts Good or Bad Distract us
In reality no thought, plan or intention that you have is really good or bad in itself. The only purpose it serves is to distract us from really perceiving the world.
When we go beyond our thoughts and feelings we begin to perceive how it all works and we discover a new way of living. A way that enables radical change.
By perceiving thoughts we gain an understanding of what each one is really about. Which enables us to talk to others and share this new understanding.
We begin to appreciate the freedom possible in this new way of living.
So next time you see a negative thought, don’t try to turn it around or replace it with a new ‘positive’ one. Simply look at it. Don’t think about it or analyse it. Just watch, inquire with something beyond the mind.
Practice this and you will see a new way of living, free of battling thought with thought, emotion with emotion.
Rather than trying to create a bigger and bigger fire for light you will find the light switch.
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July 21st, 2008 at 11:16 am
Jarrod,
Interesting post, I’m very familiar with “battling the mind with the mind” and am intruiged by the solution you’re offering but I’m not really sure how to put this into practice.
You say “We see things that we didn’t know were so before. We see underlying motivations for thoughts”
Generally when I look at my thoughts I do indeed find out things I didn’t know before but the only motivations that I see are also thoughts. Perhaps I’m thinking about my thoughts rather than actually observing them. How do we just observe?
July 21st, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Yes, how quick we are to judge whether a thought is a positive or negative one. If we can only just stop for a bit, look and examine it, we can begin to dis-associate ourselves from it. Insight usually occurs.
It is my experience that when I can begin to see the true nature of each thought, that the commitment to choose more helpful thoughts for skilfull living becomes stronger.
Evelyn
July 21st, 2008 at 2:59 pm
One could also change their perspective on life. It’s not just a matter of negative thought vs. positive thought which I think is an over simplification. How we choose to interprete the events in our life, and how we see the world has a huge impact on our state of happiness or lack thereof.
I’ve personally never really found resonance with the idea of putting the intellect in the back seat, and simply having all of ones consciousness be consumed by the present. To me, this doesn’t seem optimal. The intellect should become our ally, not something we dismiss.
I think learning that we can control our thoughts is actually one of the highest attainments a human can have. To wield ones thoughts for their betterment. This is only my opinion though.
I appreciate your perspective, and enjoy reading perspectives that aren’t identical to mine.
July 21st, 2008 at 3:58 pm
@Thomas: Don’t worry about trying to see the underlying motivations. This comes automatically the more we practice observing. Originally we just a thought, with practice sometimes we will see an incredibly rapid series of thoughts and emotions present.
Thoughts can be the cause of other thoughts, other times the trigger for thoughts is emotions (fear, anger, lust, pride etc.).
Observing is a matter of watching with consciousness. When we look around in life all the information comes into our senses and we see. Then when something moves our attention catches it and we see it particularly.
This is the same for observing within. We watch our thoughts (in mind) and emotions (in body, particularly chest) and we see how our internal world naturally looks. Then when a thought appears we see it but it disrupts the natural state. Our attention notices it.
That is it. You just see. Don’t think about the thoughts, just be aware, observing. You have to look inwards and outwards at the same time to function in this world.
I’ll write in more detail soon. In the meantime the book in which I learnt this from is called The Peace of the Spirit Within and it is available from Amazon or direct from the publisher (faster) Absolute Publishing. The books have a very practical focus.
If you have more questions you can email me if you want, see my contact page.
July 21st, 2008 at 4:08 pm
@Evelyn: Well said Evelyn. Once we separate from the automatic thoughts and emotions we are freed to consciously think and create our lives.
@Bamboo: I think you might have misunderstood me a little.
There is the mind, and then there are thoughts. They are not the same things. I agree that the mind is a tool to use, but we should not let the willy nilly thoughts that are automatically created through it control us.
What is a perspective? A bunch of thoughts?
Why interpret the events of our life at all? We can see life as it is and act based upon that, why add more complexity (or anything) onto it?
This is a good discussion.
July 23rd, 2008 at 8:02 pm
There is a lot to be said about this I agree. As soon as negative thought enters or negative experience we tend to run away from it and tell ourselves must think positive. But we fail to understand where that negative thought came from. Even worse we let it consume us.
Negative thoughts tend to be a default state. Its until we learn to take action and change our initial thought pattern, only then can positive thoughts enter our mind on regular basis.
Things that worked for me are to feel negative thought, not denying it. Understanding where its coming from and then taking postive action towards improving the situation.
“Objects in motion tend to stay in motion moving along a straight path… unless acted upon by a force.”
That force is positive action.
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:33 pm
@AlexG: Gaining knowledge about our thoughts is important.
It is an interesting analogy of thoughts to objects in motion. I agree action is necessary but I would probably just call it action rather than positive, personal preference :).
July 25th, 2008 at 7:58 am
“What is a perspective? A bunch of thoughts?”
Perhaps. Is that what you think?
July 25th, 2008 at 10:20 am
@Jonathan: Yes that is pretty much my perspective
when I need to have one (such as when communicating). I consider a perspective to be a grouping of thoughts and emotions that lead someone to have a particular opinion or perspective on something.
In order to communicate we have to use language and the mind which relies on labeling, opposites and perspectives. So as much as possible it is best to consciously form these (as opposed to unknowingly) from as much experience as we have. People extrapolate perspectives from their (hopefully correctly) interpreted experience.
I try to discard perspectives when I am not endeavoring to communicate in some form.
Thanks for the question
August 21st, 2008 at 7:24 am
It is very refreshing to hear somebody else communicating in the language that I think in. When you talk about having a perspective in order to communicate, I can really understand. I often feel it necessary to “construct” a persona for people to communicate with, otherwise I have so little to say that I just fade into the background. When this constructed persona proves narrow or contradictory, I am looked at as a liar or a fake when really I’m just trying to connect with the folks around me. I watch this happen and let the sadness and loneliness dissipate. Drawing helps.
August 22nd, 2008 at 12:28 am
That is my perspective too. I was just playing around.
August 22nd, 2008 at 2:51 am
@Deacon: I felt something very similar when I first started getting beyond the good and bad of things. Now I really choose when to speak. So if it is necessary in a situation to make small talk and try to keep up with the news so I can do so and consequently build up social relationships.
But with such topics I usually spend more time listening to others and exploring their understanding then talking.
I would not recommend being anything other than yourself, that it one of the few things that matter.
You also shouldn’t need to feel sad and lonely, please feel free to ask more about this if you have questions.