negative thinking
Expecting the worst
Negative thinking is a pattern of dwelling on unfavorable outcomes, flaws, or possibilities.
The term appears frequently in self-help and psychology contexts, where it's framed as a habit to overcome: Negative thinking won't solve your problems.
The phrase can sound dismissive when used to characterize someone else's concerns—what feels like realistic worry to one person may look like negative thinking to another.
- catastrophizingImagining worst-case outcomes
- worst case scenarioMost unfavorable possible outcome
- ruminationProlonged, repetitive thinking
- overgeneralizationUnwarranted broad application
- all or nothingExtreme without compromise
low self-esteem · anxiety · fortune-telling · glass half empty · downward spiral · dark thoughts · emotional reasoning · inner critic · beating yourself up · sadness · labeling · mind reading · procrastination · hopelessness · pessimism · doom and gloom · self-doubt · learned helplessness
- outlookoptimism, pessimism, outlook, worldview, perspective
- depressionmajor depression, clinical depression, sadness, hopelessness, anhedonia
- thinking habitsoverthinking, rumination, catastrophizing, self-doubt, self-criticism
- thought patternsrumination, overthinking, catastrophizing, overgeneralization, intrusive thoughts
- thought trapscatastrophizing, overgeneralization, mind reading, fortune telling, personalization
- inner dialogueself-talk, inner voice, inner dialogue, inner monologue, mental chatter
negative thinkingpositive thinking
Hopeful mental outlook
optimism · positive outlook · sunny disposition · looking on the bright side · rose-colored glasses
negative thinkingrational thinking
Logic-based mental process
cognitive flexibility · growth mindset · psychological resilience · self-compassion · emotional regulation
negative thinkingcan-do attitude
Confident, proactive mindset
growth mindset · forward thinking · creative problem-solving · resourcefulness · empowerment
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