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## IllusionOfHappiness (Sep 6, 2007)

*Re: there is no such thing as positive thinking*

Yeah, I prefer rational thinking. And through that it makes me positive. For example - I don't try to shut things out. I think about things as much as my crazy mind wants to. Then I think about my problems and how they could possibly be fixed/dealt with easier. I usually feel better about whatever situation I'm in afterwards.


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## FairleighCalm (May 20, 2007)

*Re: there is no such thing as positive thinking*

I think you are right. Just covering up is not "positive thinking". But, realizing that ^rationally^ , in the neutral zone, things are not predecided, each moment has a potential positive possibility and it's okay and healthy to acknowledge that. And in fact act like that.


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## CausalityReality (Apr 12, 2008)

*Re: there is no such thing as positive thinking*

hmm...yeah!
The only way to truly be positive is to uproot the negative first!
Thats actually a great insight!


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## shyvr6 (Feb 18, 2008)

*Re: there is no such thing as positive thinking*

If you're doing something that's positive to begin with and you have positive thoughts, then it will be positive thinking throughout. Like for example, I'm going to go out tonight and getting something to eat. I'm thinking positive thoughts about it and haven't had any negative thoughts at all. So, you're not completely right.


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## FairleighCalm (May 20, 2007)

*Re: there is no such thing as positive thinking*

^Oh yeah? You could get food poisoning!! Then I'd be right! Um, nevermind that comment,


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## Marylandgreeneyes (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: there is no such thing as positive thinking*

Theres no such thing as negative thinking, youre just deceiving yourself with unwishful thinking. SO THERE! HA


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## FairleighCalm (May 20, 2007)

*Re: there is no such thing as positive thinking*

^Ooh, GOOD ONE!


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## shyvr6 (Feb 18, 2008)

*Re: there is no such thing as positive thinking*

Mine wasn't wishful thinking because it became a reality and I enjoyed every bite.


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## Mc Borg (Jan 4, 2008)

*Re: there is no such thing as positive thinking*

There is no such thing as thinking.


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## gozinsky (Mar 11, 2008)

*Re: there is no such thing as positive thinking*

thinking sucks.


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## llj (Apr 15, 2008)

*Re: there is no such thing as positive thinking*

I, too, don't believe in self deception. If a cat is black, I will say it is black. It makes no sense to say a cat is white when it is actually black, yet this is what many SA coaches try to teach people to do.

I don't believe in that. I know for a fact that society bases the worth of many young men and women on looks alone. And I do believe, for the most part, that we live in an opportunistic society, and many take glee in the mistakes of others--hence why we have TMZ. This is not negative thinking, this is realistic thinking.

That said, that doesn't mean we should stop looking for goodness in truth. I know it's out there. It's hard to find, sure, but that doesn't mean it's not there. The day you think it's hopeless to try, then you're in big trouble.


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## take_no_bull (Nov 13, 2007)

*Re: there is no such thing as positive thinking*

:idea ....positive thinking is not about deception. It is about realistic thinking. It is about encountering a problem/situation and making the best of it. It is about not letting your inner fears, self doubts and past perceived ''failures'' overwhelm your mind and to give up before you even get started. READ THIS >>>>>>...Have A Pure Heart And A Pure Mind !

To have a pure heart is to reach the destination quickly. To have a pure heart means to keep the mind free from negative and waste. When there is positivity within, the mind is receptive to new ideas as it is in perfect peace. So the best is made out of the situation at hand and so it is easy to pool in all the resources in order to reach the destination. When we have a pure heart, we experience the beauty and positivity of life. We are able to keep our mind calm and enjoy everything that comes our way. Our destination is clear and we have the confidence to work towards it. We get the blessings and good wishes of those around which help us further move forward. ---taken from :~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.....http://positivequotes.blogspot.com/


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## FairleighCalm (May 20, 2007)

*Re: there is no such thing as positive thinking*



> I, too, don't believe in self deception. If a cat is black, I will say it is black. It makes no sense to say a cat is white when it is actually black, yet this is what many SA coaches try to teach people to do.


Cats are one thing, but would you call a person black if they were African American? And, would you be accurate? I say this because this thread is about perception me thinks. And perception can influence the outcome of a situation, limit it, either positively or negatively. But if you just "let it be"...then you can see it going either way.


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## Marylandgreeneyes (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: there is no such thing as positive thinking*

If you don't believe in self deception, then you can't believe in Social anxiety. Social anxiety is your brain/body/mind/whatever telling you that you need to be afraid when you are, that people are judging you when they aren't, that you are ugly when you aren't, etc. etc. We all know these thoughts are irrational, therefore your body is deceiving you by acting this way.

The process of therapy and CBT is about overwriting all the deceptive thoughts with correct ones. Consider Pavlov's dogs: Every day he rings a bell and feeds the dogs, rings the bell, feeds the dogs. Eventually he rings the bell but has no food, yet the dogs come looking for food. The dogs brain has learned to associate the sound of a bell with food. When the bell sounded, the dogs brain told it there was food, and yet there isn't. Well, according to your logic, that cant be true. If you think it, it must be true. Well now Pavlov has a problem, because he just moved next to a bell shop. His dogs still look for food when they hear bells, and now they run next door and cause havoc. So Pavlov runs the original experiment, except this time he does it over and over again, but never has food around when the bells ring. Eventually the dogs will relearn their association with the bell, and now upon hearing a ringing bell expect nothing.

There is self deception, there is self denial, you can believe whatever the hell you want to. However it takes a lot of work and repetition for it to be affective. Cbt and similar therapies need to be done everyday, for months and even years. Consider how long you have had these illogical anxious thoughts, surely it will take a considerable amount of time to repair that much learning.


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## Michael Scofield (Feb 29, 2008)

*Re: there is no such thing as positive thinking*

There is a ton of self-deception associated with negative thinking as well. I'm looking for middle ground really, nothing extreme.


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## njodis (Nov 8, 2006)

*Re: there is no such thing as positive thinking*

Positive thinking isn't self deception-- it's finding the positive aspects of things and focusing on those, rather than the negative. I guess it's not always possible to pick out something positive, and it can be hard even when it is possible, but it really does help you feel better.


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## llj (Apr 15, 2008)

*Re: there is no such thing as positive thinking*

What you want is some sense of neutrality. You have to realize that there is negativity in the world but you have to be able to live in it and find positivity in it. Objectively, we know that murder and racism is negative. But, we also know that friendship and generosity is positive. Bt let's face it...there are some things we don't like and ther's nothing wrong with negativity if it's based on a solid foundation of logic.

Now, social anxiety can sometimes be based on logic, but often it is based on delusion in a negative sense. The thing is, most of us KNOW it's in our heads, but are trying to change the emotional element of it so that it does not affect our bodies, which we can't help.

What I don't like about self-deception in the positive sense is that it's too extreme. It's kind of like telling your mind to get high on pot.


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## Pinzelhead (Mar 14, 2007)

*Re: there is no such thing as positive thinking*

Thinking positively doesn't entail self-delusion and deception. Its so difficult to be positive for many people (especially social phobics!) because negative thinking and perception is deeply and stubbornly ingrained and welded into the subconcious mind that there is a strong desire to resist any sort of re-education.


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## FairleighCalm (May 20, 2007)

*Re: there is no such thing as positive thinking*

Is there such a thing as positive living?


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## shyvr6 (Feb 18, 2008)

*Re: there is no such thing as positive thinking*

Well there is always an opposite. So if there is such a thing as negative thinking, then there is positive thinking.


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