problem. Over time, most people find that the more they use a variety of activities, the
easier it becomes to create new perspectives.5. Minimize Negative Thinking
Unless you are an exceptional person, you are a natural critic. From an early age we have
learned to analyze and criticize anything new. Now that we are adults, being critical is
second nature. We are experts at it.
What is your typical first reaction when someone proposes a new idea? Do you usual-
ly say something like “That’s fantastic,” “That’s a great idea,” or “That’s really interest-
ing”? Probably not.
Although there may be a few exceptions, most of us come preprogrammed with the “auto-
matic no” response.Through training and conditioning in school and at home, we have
learned to criticize first and think later. It’s almost as if we have learned that it is better to
reject something new outright than even to consider its potential value as a solution.An Exercise in Negative Thinking
To illustrate this automatic no tendency, here’s a little exercise to do by yourself or use
with a group: Take five minutes and write down every negative response you can think
of to a new idea. When finished, compare your list with the following one. Chances are
there are a lot of similarities, if not direct duplications.- Our problem is different.
- We tried that once before.
- We don’t have enough time.
- We don’t have enough help.
- Our system is too small for this.
- We’ve always done it this way.
- Our present method is time-tested and reliable.
- It’s impractical.
- It’s ahead of its time.
- It’s behind the times.
- We’re not ready for it yet.
- We’ve had too much of this lately.
- We can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
- Our young, progressive group doesn’t need it.
- It will require a heavy investment.
- It will never pay for itself.
- If no investment is required, how do we expect it to work?
- It’s too radical.
- It’s almost the same as what we’re doing now.
- It looks good on paper, but it won’t work.
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