Why Are We Negative? (#2)

As someone who’s spent a lot of time in or conducting brainstorms, here are the most common reasons why we are negative.

Some of these don’t even need a brainstorm to occur.

Why we negative?

1. We’re impatient for the ideas.

In the immortal words of a former colleague (Cindy) who was arguing with me about the validity of brainstorming: “Where’s the intelligence in wasting time coming up with ideas which don’t or won’t work? Give me the Big Idea now.”

Cindy never saw a double standard at work here. It was fine if the team spent a considerable amount of time on discussing, debating and massaging the right strategy, but it was unacceptable if the Big Idea didn’t emerge immediately in an hour’s brainstorm.

While it’s not acceptable, it’s also understandable. Creative thinking is largely an invisible task. It doesn’t look like ‘real work’ to many people. After all, isn’t it a common myth or fantasy that an idea appears after a blinding flash of inspiration?

2. We’re conditioned to be negative.

Perhaps you’ve heard this well-known statistic. The average human being has 60,000 thoughts a day. Almost 90% of those thoughts are the same ones you had yesterday. And, 80% are negative.

While I can’t verfify with 100% accuracy the research nor its conclusions, there is plenty of documented evidence suggesting our negativity is built up through formal education. For most subjects, we’re taught to learn one common answer through memorization, or to learn a specific yet repetitive way to do a task.

In other words, we are taught there’s only one acceptable answer to every questions. That’s the opposite philosophy of creativity: to create as many possible solutions to solve a need or problem.

3. It’s a cultural characteristic.

We often blame our negativity on our culture, specifically how it influences how we live, work and think. We define ourselves, or are defined, by ‘society.’ That could mean our nationality, community or workplace.

To change or go against the common direction takes courage since – at many points in history – being, acting or thinking different has been wrong in virtually every country on Earth.

It’s understandable that it may be one of the most difficult influences to overcome, but it’s certainly not a reason to stay the same. In fact, the most successful companies – people, even – are the ones who are constantly evolving and changing.

4. Negativity is an unconscious way to avoid work or change.

Perhaps an ugly reality, but there’s a kernel of truth to the thought that condemning something might be a way to avoid doing something. This could be a changing environment or situation. It could even be to avoid any personal change.

The psychological conversation goes something like this.

• If I am negative, the idea is killed.
• Nothing happens, so I don’t have to do anything.
• I don’t have to change the status quo.
• I don’t have to work harder.
• I don’t have to challenge myself.

Negativity is also easy to rationalize.

• I help others by correcting their mistakes.
• I clarify the group’s confusion by dominating all other opinions with my own.
• I mentor others by demonstrating how smart I am by pointing out why a particular idea won’t work.

A friend pointed out these statements mean we don’t have to lift a finger, but we can also feel good about ourselves in the process!

In the end, does negativity ever have any positive value in creativity?  No.

Unlike bad ideas – which can be adapted to create good ideas – negativity without constructive direction is simply destructive.  I’ve found that the only people who will tell you that negativity has value are the ones who use it as a red-hot poker of power over subordinates or colleagues. Have you ever noticed that none of these types put up with anyone ever being negative of their ideas? As Nana Eklund used to say, “There’s less traffic on a one-way street.”

In the end, it’s not worth expending energy tearing apart a bad idea that will die naturally at the end of the brainstorm.

More so, it’s not worth tearing down a colleague’s confidence simply to build up one’s ego.

This is a three-part series on negativity and creativity.

Part 1: 

Part 2:   (this article)

Part 3: 

If this sounds like you, your team or organisation, you may like an article that looks at the differences between .