Can some negativity improve your relationships?:
Yes, it can:
Four studies support the hypothesis that expressing negative emotion is associated with positive relationship outcomes, including elicitation of support, building of new close relationships, and heightening of intimacy in the closest of those relationships. In Study 1, participants read vignettes in which another person was experiencing a negative emotion. Participants reported they would provide more help when the person chose to express the negative emotion. In Study 2, participants watched a confederate preparing for a speech. Participants provided more help to her when she expressed nervousness. In Study 3, self-reports of willingness to express negative emotions predicted having more friends, controlling for demographic variables and extraversion. In Study 4, self-reports of willingness to express negative emotion measured prior to arrival at college predicted formation of more relationships, greater intimacy in the closest of those relationships, and greater received support from roommates across participants' first semester of college.
Source: The Positives of Negative Emotions: Willingness to Express Negative Emotions Promotes Relationships" from "Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin"
I find this heartening. No, you're not expected to be crazy cheery all the time. Negativity can mean honesty because, let's face it, sometimes life sucks. Being too happy-happy all the time usually comes off as needy -- and nobody likes needy. A little negativity can show strength of character and insight. Am I wrong? Post a comment. I want to hear you be negative about my negativity because obviously that will improve our relationship.
This may shock you but I actually recommend this book. It was his first one and I got something out of it. I'm not recommending his show or any of his subsequent books.
Can negativity improve brainstorming?
Does pessimism soften the blow of bad news?
Would you be upset if the KKK denied you membership? Amazingly, you would:
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