Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

The Effects of Positive Thoughts on Mental Health

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The Effects of Positive Thoughts on Mental Health

In the current unbridled world, where mundane issues have outshined anything, altruistic sentiments are eroding. As violence and bloodshed are increasing in this world, nothing will lead mankind to salvation other than optimism and inner evolution. The question is that is pessimism or positive thought psychological or sociological terms? Does it belong to one’s personal characteristics or to social atmosphere?
Positive Thinking from Psychological Perspective
Life is full of unlimited assets. All individuals are entitled to have a prosperous and happy life. However, gaining delight and success in any circumstances depends on one’s endeavor. No one other than yourself can bring you happiness or sadness, failure or success, etc. How a number of individuals are happy, whereas some others are not? Generally speaking, everyone will interpret external incidents on the basis of their own beliefs and understandings. Every issue originates from one’s thoughts and man is the product of his own thinking. In fact, you are the one whom you imagined. It is our mind which makes us a strong personality or vice versa.
Psychologists believe that it is our thoughts and mentalities that build our life. One’s thought is conducive to success or failure, health or disease, and fortune or misfortune. Positive thoughts fill one with hope, tranquility, and delight. On the contrary, negative thoughts will fill one with chagrin, sorrow, pessimism, etc. That is to say, one’s self-confidence, abilities, and courage will be promoted through positive thoughts. On the other hand, one’s sense of inability and contempt will increase on a large scale through cynicism that eventuates in mental or physical diseases. Some unintentionally exert their energy against themselves via repeating destructive thoughts.
Those who are pessimist, cynic, and sad will hardly ever make friends and their social interaction is extremely low. People will not like to meet a cynic or a selfish person. When you cherish a negative thought in your mind, you will willy-nilly repeat it for thousands of time. Subsequently, the negative thought will be compounded occupying further rooms in your mind and will even control the entire part of thought. Then, it will become a second nature. In this case, one will waste one’s energy unintentionally and will feel impatient, uncomfortable, sad, etc. and will suffer from cardiovascular disorders, blood pressure, and a thousand and one other diseases. In simple words, poisons from worries, anger, fear, failure, and negativity lead us to disease and destruction.
People struggle constantly to live a prosperous life. Exerting positive thought is the most significant issue in this respect, which will lead one to physical and mental peace and tranquility. Religion also places emphasis on thinking positively.
Positive Thinking from Sociological Perspective
Positive thought is the product of peaceful interaction with social atmosphere that will be followed by tendencies based on happiness, pessimism, hope, and confidence which are contrary to hatred, fear, nervousness, and disappointment.
Positive view will emerge when one feels that their realization is confirmed by their own thoughts. Positive thought is a kind of public good, the outcome of which must be sought in partnership, social freshness, social consensus, positive emotions, associative life, and social participation. Furthermore, it is an emotional asset that will reduce the cost of formal monitoring and convince individuals to treat one another in accordance with social norms. This asset will be increased through practices.
Although the manifestation of positive view is seen in an individual, it is gained from the process of interaction with the public.
Flexible, vibrant, and dynamic societies are more prepared to be positive than hard, static, and closed societies. Because closed societies and cultures have more criminal nature and will produce pessimism. A society’s culture is highly influential in positive or negative view. If cruelty, corruption, and crime are committed in a society, citizens will encounter with those wicked practices and will see nothing other than evil.
When a negative view is rampant in a society, the youth and children will be influenced by it. They will acquire and express such code of conduct. Moral values will be strengthened through individual and collective honesty, cooperation, and mutual respect. In addition, strengthening national pride can provide a ground for positive thinking. Disappointment, pessimism, and lack of success are the main factors that will impede the development of positive thinking. Family is the first focal point for children to learn religion, ethics, communication methods and attitudes since they have the most interaction with family rather than any other social mechanisms. Therefore, positive thinking is also learned from family. Of course, family itself is an open system and affects society.
Positive thinking is the outcome of performance of different layers of a society. Hence, the root of positive thinking, according to sociologists, lies in culture and society.  
It is worth saying that faith and religious tenets also play a constructive role in positive thinking. Without faith and true inner reliance, one will not be able to live a happy or prosperous life. With strong determination and complete faith, one can replace destructive thought with constructive one, sadness and sorrow with happiness and delight, disease with health, failure with success, etc.

Ali Rezayi is the permanent writer of the Daily Outlook Afghanistan. He can be reached at the outlookafghanistan@gmail.com

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