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This seems to reiterate an argument I once read against positive affirmations (no longer recall the source). The idea is that every time you consciously make an

This seems to reiterate an argument I once read against positive affirmations (no longer recall the source). The idea is that every time you consciously make an affirmation, your subconscious corrects it, as in: I am an outgoing person. - no, I'm not. I am an outgoing person. - no, I'm not. I am an outgoing person. - no, I'm not. The subconscious wins, and what actually gets affirmed is that you're not an outgoing person. This article seems to suggest that this effect primarily occurs when the affirmation is sufficiently different from one's self image. (But do we generally need to affirm things we already believe?)

pj 17y ago
Not only are you confirming the not outgoing, but the dishonesty compounds the mental negatives, making you feel even worse!
- anigbrowl 17y ago
  Indeed. I'm subject to depression, and though this can and has led to negativity that later translates into negative outcomes, I've found it far better to accept my periods of gloom and just acknowledge the fact of my thinking patterns than to try to replace them with ones I don't buy into. It's not that the optimistic views are wrong, necessarily (or that I'm universally pessimistic), but some approaches just reek of bullshit. I'm all for the 'little engine that could' approach of giving yourself permission and encouragement to succeed. But quite a few of the modern motivation gurus seem to espouse a sociopathic level of self-regard that reminds me of religious fanaticism. Don't even get me started on the 'God wants you to be rich' people.
stavrianos 17y ago
I imagine there's a significant border-zone where the affirmation doesn't fire a reactionary denial, and so probably successfully reinforces itself and becomes truer.
- zackattack 17y ago
  Indeed, this is what I was thinking. Perhaps the key is to successively (and slowly) converge on the positive.
  - talvisota 17y ago
    I don't believe that to be the case. Our temperaments are quite hard-wired in our brains. IMO a better approach is to: - honestly learn about oneself, including the sides one or others might deem negative - accept oneself as such - learn to balance things in life so that one's personality fits best amongst them This way for example an intravert person can push their "outgoing side" a bit when it's needed, charging their batteries while that's not necessary, and make most of their lives doing something where solitary is a benefit. When the everyday experience is positive, the personality tends to shift towards positive. But that is not because of telling oneself "I can do it, I can do it" but because of the daily experience simply indicates success. Another example might be a person who wants to start a business. While one might benefit by "just doing it" and smashing obstacles one by one, another one might benefit most by making a careful study before doing the "move". Neither of these persons probably don't perform optimally (who of us does?), since the first one doesn't think enough before acting, and the other thinks too far. But for both of them, their approach is the most benefical, since in both cases their confidence to what they are doing rises the most, and on a realistic basis.
    - zackattack 17y ago
      "Our temperaments are quite hard-wired in our brains" Yeah, but the wiring can be changed. I used to be introverted; now I'm quite extroverted. I slowly changed.
aufreak 17y ago
I agree. Moreover, I think it would have been useful to measure variables indicating emotional state as the affirmation is uttered. If you feel crippled when you utter "I'm a lovable person", chances are your subconscious is saying "no you're not". It is also known that jumping from "Nobody loves me" to "I'm lovable" isn't possible for the most. You need to take small steps, each of which needs to be coupled with a better feeling.
10ren 17y ago
It seems a bit like sarcasm; the more positive its literally meaning, the more cutting the "intended" meaning.

pj 17y ago

Not only are you confirming the not outgoing, but the dishonesty compounds the mental negatives, making you feel even worse!

anigbrowl 17y ago
Indeed. I'm subject to depression, and though this can and has led to negativity that later translates into negative outcomes, I've found it far better to accept my periods of gloom and just acknowledge the fact of my thinking patterns than to try to replace them with ones I don't buy into. It's not that the optimistic views are wrong, necessarily (or that I'm universally pessimistic), but some approaches just reek of bullshit. I'm all for the 'little engine that could' approach of giving yourself permission and encouragement to succeed. But quite a few of the modern motivation gurus seem to espouse a sociopathic level of self-regard that reminds me of religious fanaticism. Don't even get me started on the 'God wants you to be rich' people.

stavrianos 17y ago

I imagine there's a significant border-zone where the affirmation doesn't fire a reactionary denial, and so probably successfully reinforces itself and becomes truer.

zackattack 17y ago
Indeed, this is what I was thinking. Perhaps the key is to successively (and slowly) converge on the positive.
- talvisota 17y ago
  I don't believe that to be the case. Our temperaments are quite hard-wired in our brains. IMO a better approach is to: - honestly learn about oneself, including the sides one or others might deem negative - accept oneself as such - learn to balance things in life so that one's personality fits best amongst them This way for example an intravert person can push their "outgoing side" a bit when it's needed, charging their batteries while that's not necessary, and make most of their lives doing something where solitary is a benefit. When the everyday experience is positive, the personality tends to shift towards positive. But that is not because of telling oneself "I can do it, I can do it" but because of the daily experience simply indicates success. Another example might be a person who wants to start a business. While one might benefit by "just doing it" and smashing obstacles one by one, another one might benefit most by making a careful study before doing the "move". Neither of these persons probably don't perform optimally (who of us does?), since the first one doesn't think enough before acting, and the other thinks too far. But for both of them, their approach is the most benefical, since in both cases their confidence to what they are doing rises the most, and on a realistic basis.
  - zackattack 17y ago
    "Our temperaments are quite hard-wired in our brains" Yeah, but the wiring can be changed. I used to be introverted; now I'm quite extroverted. I slowly changed.

aufreak 17y ago

I agree. Moreover, I think it would have been useful to measure variables indicating emotional state as the affirmation is uttered. If you feel crippled when you utter "I'm a lovable person", chances are your subconscious is saying "no you're not". It is also known that jumping from "Nobody loves me" to "I'm lovable" isn't possible for the most. You need to take small steps, each of which needs to be coupled with a better feeling.

10ren 17y ago

It seems a bit like sarcasm; the more positive its literally meaning, the more cutting the "intended" meaning.