Contents
Defensive pessimism: why some people prepare for the worst
Psychology
The person who tends to see everything from pessimism is interested in seeing the most negative part of life, thus influencing their mood and vitality
How many times have we anticipated an event and our mind has accepted a defeat without even decreeing a war. In general terms, this is how the defensive pessimism, that is, when we protect ourselves in the sense that before connecting with reality and seeing that the negative has happened, we anticipate and predispose ourselves to accept that result. However, defensive pessimism not only protects us from a Disgusting surprise, but it also destroys us because in the end the possibilities and capacities of each person diminish.
There are different ways of facing life and, possibly, all of us have gone through them in different situations and contexts. One is not born positive, negative or realistic, but it is a learning that we are doing in our own evolution. It is true that depending on how the person is, their personality traits and their experiences, they can face life from one perspective or another.
The person who tends to see everything from the pessimism are interested in seeing the most negative part of life, thus influencing their frame of mind and vitality. But, in addition, from psychology, the general health psychologist Patricia Fernández tells us that there is what they call defensive pessimism, this being the way of working of some people who put themselves in the worst of every situation to avoid suffering later: “It is a way of protecting themselves so that when the negative happens, it does not cause them so much discomfort because they had already positioned themselves there,” he says.
Low self-esteem
Those who lean towards the pessimistic or negative side of things not only do so with the outside but it also affects them in the first person. Patricia Fernández explains that it is rare and unusual for them to have a Self esteem high and stable, and will fluctuate between “low and unstable” self-esteem.
«The most optimistic people tend to also value their virtues and not only focus on your improvement points. Although all of us have gone through moments of downturns and it is normal, since self-esteem is not something static, those who function under defensive pessimism even tend to abandoning tasks or activities because they have assumed they will fail or that they will be positioned in the worst situation, “says the psychologist.
«Assessing the pros and cons of defensive pessimism, there is the fact that it can favor us and facilitate assimilation, although it can also generate anxiety for wanting to control and anticipate everything. These types of people tend to underestimate themselves to the point of not facing situations for the fear of failing, “says general health psychologist Patricia Fernández.
Therefore, and in short, a person who always puts at a disadvantage In front of the rest of the people, it will most likely affect their self-esteem.
The “useful” part
If we want to get the positive side to defensive pessimism, arguably helps do not fall into failure. “On rare occasions it does help us not to fall into ‘failure’, but frequently used as a regular way of functioning and periodically, it is certainly not useful. At least it is not the healthiest and most adaptive way, ”says Patricia Fernández.
«When we work this in nucleosideWe do not want the patient to see everything “pink” but we do want him to abandon seeing everything black. We teach that there is a scale of colors in which you can move, and to learn to move between them you have to learn to question your thoughts and face situations from a more rational and realistic attitude, “he says.
Being realistic, after all, is being able to see both the positive and the negative and act congruently in both situations relativizing and taking charge of what is within the control of a person.