Posted by: gonewiththewind
Power of negative thinking and preparedness - 12/10/12 02:00 PM
An article in the Wall Street Journal discusses the positive benefits of negative thinking. it talks about how thinking about worst case scenarios can mentally prepare you for the worst, make you feel better able to handle them, and actually make you happier. It is a psychological benefit of prepping. It is subscriber content, but here is an excerpt:
Fortunately, both ancient philosophy and contemporary psychology point to an alternative: a counterintuitive approach that might be termed "the negative path to happiness." This approach helps to explain some puzzles, such as the fact that citizens of more economically insecure countries often report greater happiness than citizens of wealthier ones. Or that many successful businesspeople reject the idea of setting firm goals.
Seneca the Stoic was a radical on this matter. If you feared losing your wealth, he once advised, "set aside a certain number of days, during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fare, with coarse and rough dress, saying to yourself the while: 'Is this the condition that I feared?' "
Moderators let me know if that is too much of a quote. it is a lengthy article.
Fortunately, both ancient philosophy and contemporary psychology point to an alternative: a counterintuitive approach that might be termed "the negative path to happiness." This approach helps to explain some puzzles, such as the fact that citizens of more economically insecure countries often report greater happiness than citizens of wealthier ones. Or that many successful businesspeople reject the idea of setting firm goals.
Seneca the Stoic was a radical on this matter. If you feared losing your wealth, he once advised, "set aside a certain number of days, during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fare, with coarse and rough dress, saying to yourself the while: 'Is this the condition that I feared?' "
Moderators let me know if that is too much of a quote. it is a lengthy article.