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The Society of Half-Glassed Thinking™
Thinking Positively vs. Positive Thinking
"Thinking positively" is not the same as "positive thinking." Positive thinking is common among motivational speakers who will tell you that if you believe you can do it, you can! The key to succeeding at anything is believing you can.
That kind of positive thinking is simply not true. If you don't have a lot of business sense, no amount of positive thinking is likely to make you a millionaire. Or if a competitor introduces a better product for a lower price. Or if major economic trends trash your business.
Not only is the claim of positive thinking not true, it is cruel. The late Christopher Reeve ("Superman") believed that after his horrible accident he would walk again. He did not. Should we conclude that it was really his fault, that he just didn't believe enough? No. Medical science just didn't have the ability to help someone with his kind of injuries.
Postitive thinking has been a powerful motivational tool for many people and has helped many achieve astounding goals. But if it isn't true, it's not something I want to build my life on. Thinking positively also has positive effects on morale and motivation, but without promising more than it can deliver.
Thinking positively is maintaining a positive attitude. Thinking positively means seeing the glass as half full. It means focusing on the upside. It means doing what you can rather than complaining about what you can't. I means making the most of a situation rather than wasting energy in disappointment.