Critical Thinking: What Does Positive Thinking Have In Common With Empathy?

In the same way that one is likely to see clouds if they look up to the sky - they are also likely to come across ‘positive thinking’ if they read about self-development. This is because this kind of thinking is often seen as an important part of being successful.

One Approach

One can then come to believe that they need to make sure that they don’t allow themselves to have negative thoughts. In addition to this, it will be vital for them to do what they can to feel good.

And through seeing the world through rose-coloured glasses, it will allow them to achieve what they want to achieve. This kind of thinking has been popular in America for many, many years.

A Gradual Transition

In the beginning, this kind of thinking was typically found in self-help books and was taught on different courses. But as time has passed, it is no longer something that one is only going to learn about through being into self-development.

Nowadays, one could learn about this while they are at work or during a conversation with a friend/family member, for instance. What was on the fringes at one point in time is now part of mainstream culture.

A Common Occurrence

This is then similar to how one person can start wearing a certain item clothing and, as time passes, just about everyone can wear the same thing. What was different or unpopular has then become normal and popular.

Therefore, in order for something to change, it is often necessary for someone to stick their neck out, so to peak. This could be a time when they will be criticised or even threatened, but after a while this may change.

Courage

It is, of course, far easier to go with the status quo, and to do what just about everyone else is doing. This will allow one to fit in, yet what it won’t do is to allow them to express who they really are.

While this will cause them to ignore their true needs and feelings, what it won’t do is give them the desire to rebel. One can be the perfect citizen – someone who does as they are told and doesn’t resist.

A Fairly Recent Occurrence

In recent years, a lot has been said about how important empathy is, and this is something that politicians often come out with. In general, they say that the world would be a better place is there was more empathy.

The key is then for someone to empathise more with others, or to develop this ability and to spend time putting themselves in other peoples shoes. When one is able to do this, they are going to be bridging the gap between themselves and another person.

A No-brainer

This is going to mean that one will be able to tune into the other people feelings, which will make it harder for them to cause harm. Not only this, it can also enable them to have a positive effect on others.

And as there people all over the world who are being violated on a daily basis and are suffering in silence, this is clearly the right way to behave. For once, then, these politicians have something good to say.

The Answer

The key is then going to be for one to bring their attention to their heart and to put their head to one side. What this comes down to is that the head is often seen as being cold; whereas the heart is often seen as being warm.

Behaving in this way will lead to a more peaceful and harmonious planet. If someone was to refute this, it has to be a sign that they are cold hearted and don’t care about others.

Stepping Back

However, in the same way that ‘positive thinking’ is not always the answer, the same could be said when it comes to empathy. This is then similar to how antibiotics are often seen as the answer to everything; when in reality, they can do more harm than good.

Or how a saw is a great tool for cutting wood, but it is not going to do much good when it comes to putting a screw in. Ultimately, there are pros and cons to just about everything in life.

Positive Thinking

When someone has positive thoughts running though their mind, it can be the difference between giving something a go and not even trying. It can also allow them to keep going when something doesn’t go to plan.

At the same time, if one doesn’t take action, thinking positive thoughts is unlikely to do much good. Getting too caught up in positive thoughts can also stop one from being able to face reality and, therefore, to overlook important feedback.

Empathy

If one has the ability to put themselves in another person’s shoes, so to speak, they are going to be less likely to violate someone. This is also going to be the difference between ignoring someone and giving them the assistance that they need.

Having said that, if one puts their head to one side and only pays attention to how they feel, it can stop them from being able to see the big picture. Instead of being able to look into what would actually help someone, they can get caught up in how the other person feels and end up doing what they can to feel good about themselves.

Balance

Ultimately, one has a brain for a reason, and one of those reasons is to be able to think about what effect their behaviour will have. Yet, if one feels uncomfortable through seeing another person in pain (or a group of people) and their brain is offline, their main priority can be to do what they can to feel better as opposed to what will actually help someone.

This is then what would happen if a child was to give their lunch money to someone on the street, after feeling sorry for them. The child will then feel better about themselves, but what they will soon realise is that they won’t be able to get anything to eat and the beggar won’t be any better off in the long-run.

Conclusion

So, while there is no doubt that empathy is important, it is doesn’t mean that is it some kind of super power. In this context, encouraging people to pay more attention to their heart is a great way to control them.
​
The last thing the people in power want is for people to be able to think clearly, and one way to make sure that this doesn’t take place is to condition them to believe that empathy is the answer to everything. And although displaying empathy can be seen as a selfless act, if one is only doing something to feel better about themselves and doesn’t think about the effect that their behaviour will have, they are behaving in a selfish manner.