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The Benefits of Negative Visualization
Why Stoics Practice Premeditatio Malorum (Premeditation of Evils)
Many people will give the advice to “be positive”. What this means, in a sense, is to be optimistic, to focus on the good things, and to imagine your future success. Certainly, there’s a place for this in life. However, is there a place for negative visualization? Should we incorporate some regular focus on the bad things? On our potential future failures?
Negativity & Pessimism
Similar to positivity, negativity is something like pessimism. It’s looking at what’s wrong, what is flawed and broken. Negative visualization is looking at what could go wrong. It’s also visualizing your failure.
“Plan ahead for developments that could seriously impact you, and then decide how you’d deal with them.”
Vincent H. O’Neil
Again, these are somewhat separate but related ideas. No one likes someone that is too negative in day-to-day life. If you are always pointing out what’s wrong, it’s like you have this dark cloud over your head. People will avoid you. Negativity needs to be balanced just like positivity.
