What can a positive mind do?

A positive mind, as long as it is a mind that is not in denial, is more likely to engage in some of the following: to attempt various enterprises more eagerly in life; to approach people more openly; to be more confident in one's own success; to be less likely to ruminate on various things that might go wrong in life; to perceive the world as a safe place; to spend little time second-guessing one's decisions or one's...

A positive mind, as long as it is a mind that is not in denial, is more likely to engage in some of the following: to attempt various enterprises more eagerly in life; to approach people more openly; to be more confident in one's own success; to be less likely to ruminate on various things that might go wrong in life; to perceive the world as a safe place; to spend little time second-guessing one's decisions or one's past; and, if science is correct, live a longer, healthier life, free of much of the stress and physical and mental pathologies that might afflict a less positive mind.

If, however, one adopts what is termed a "false positive" mind, one may be ignoring reality, while erecting what psychologists term "a false self." The reasons behind this may vary; one explanation is that a person may be attempting to hide inner turmoil or pain, or may lack healthy coping strategies to deal with difficulties in life, and thus may adopt an inappropriately positive attitude as a way of repressing the realities of one's life.

Another variation on the falsely positive mind is that it may reflect a perceived need by a person to "people-please" others, a behavior sometimes found in those who lack sufficient self-worth, and thus attempt to curry favor by altering one's character to suit the needs of others.