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Cherry Mary
@cmary510
Defensive pessimism is a strategy used by people who are anxious about an upcoming event. They set unrealistically low expectations before going into a situation and take steps to avoid poor performance. Defensive pessimism involves over-preparation.
For example, someone preparing for a job interview might convince themselves that the interview is going to be a disaster. The anxiety of this likelihood helps to prepare them for the job interview. The result is that they do exceptionally well.
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Thomas Hendricks
@rhendricks
Having a defensively pessimistic strategy can help one chart out a course of action to ensure that the mishaps that are envisioned do not turn into reality.
Example: Having a low expectation of an interview, along with brooding about what all could go wrong can help one practice harder and plan to avoid those outcomes.
While waiting for a piece of important news, being pessimistic has better health benefits than being overly optimistic.
If the news is not in one’s favour, the optimists take a bigger hit on their wellbeing, experiencing great disappointment, while the pessimists do not suffer as much, as they were already ready to take the hit.
Daniel S.
@danss667
"Looking on the bright side" is advise that is seldom helpful.
When people think negatively, they can turn their anxiety into action. They take more time to prepare for the worst-c...
These two groups succeed best under different circumstances.
Thinking positively can hinder people from realizing their goals.
At the same time, pessimists can become paralyzed by stress and fail to take action while those who are overwhelmingly positive are unlikely to experience stress or anxiety.
Gunner J.
@gunner_xjj239
We spend 30 to 50 percent or our self-generated thoughts (what we think about without trying to concentrate) thinking about the distant future. We feel happy to think of our future as full of possi...
While there's little we can do to change the realities of a global crisis we can change the mindset we use to face them.
The healthiest way to look at a difficult period in our lives is as an opportunity for improvement and personal growth.
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