What if you finally embraced the power of negative thinking?
Constant optimism often rhymes with numbness, believes columnist James Marriott of the London-based Times. Each week, Courrier International offers you a column that raises questions about our modern condition, drawing on literary, scientific, and, of course, philosophical works.
Today, those who are not immersed in an ocean of optimism are often swimming against the current of the modern world. According to the dogma of the slogan “Live, love, laugh” and self-help manuals, “failure is just a cleverly disguised success,” “a positive attitude is the key to success,” “kindness makes at least two people happy,” or “what if the real journey was internal?”
But lately, the tide seems to have turned. One only has to look at the gloom that has gripped England. A survey published by The Times revealed that a majority of the population is worried about the decline of the country and the state of the world. But let's not be too quick to condemn pessimism: I want to defend my personal philosophy. So here is a sort of manifesto entitled "Embrace the Power of Negative Thinking."
Falling into pessimism doesn't necessarily mean giving up or feeling down. Optimism is perhaps the most widely used excuse for inaction. I'm always surprised to see how many people are as motivated by the thirst for fame as by the fear of failure; as driven by the desire to reach the top as by the fear of being swallowed up by rising waters (real or imagined). Similarly, the
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