Thinking Positively - The Trick!
I'm a psychologist in private practice who often sees individuals who struggle with negative thinking.
First off, It’s important to recognize the messages that you’re sending yourself and how they're influencing you. Many of the messages that you send yourself are likely influenced by your past (i.e., parents, teachers, siblings, schoolmates, etc.).
The Difficulties of Cynicism
Cynicism can be an emotionally draining mindset and what I have come to understand as a psychologist is that it is often rooted in distrust or disappointment.
People who are cynics tend to view the world through a lens of skepticism, assuming the worst about others and expecting failure or negativity in situations. While this may initially seem like a form of protection, it can prevent people from fully engaging in life and forming meaningful connections. This could make things quite difficult for the people around them and we often see many family members attending sessions with the person they believe are a cynic. People who struggle with cynicism often question others' motives or anticipate bad outcomes.
Living with cynicism also takes a toll on personal growth and happiness. By expecting the worst, people limit their ability to experience joy, success, or fulfillment. Relationships, in particular, can suffer, as others may feel rejected or unappreciated when they sense that their intentions are constantly being questioned. It takes a skilled psychologist to work with a cynic because it often requires a lot of challenges and most importantly a desire to want to get better. I have worked with many cynics in the past but the main requirement to get better is a desire to get better. Ultimately, cynicism can lead to a sense of stagnation, where a person becomes stuck in negative patterns of thought and behavior.
The most difficult aspect of cynicism is how it can perpetuate itself, creating a cycle of disillusionment and hopelessness. When someone constantly expects disappointment, they often notice only the negative aspects of life, reinforcing their beliefs that the world is untrustworthy or unfair. Over time, this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, where their expectations limit opportunities for positive experiences. Breaking free from cynicism requires conscious effort to challenge these thought patterns and open oneself to new perspectives, but doing so can lead to greater emotional freedom, deeper connections, and a more optimistic outlook on life.
Are you in a Funk? Time to get out of it!
