One aspect that's a double-edged sword about attitudes is that they're contagious. This can be a good thing. Having a positive attitude can help others to have a positive attitude as well, helping everyone to have a better time, regardless of circumstances. However, the inverse is also true. Negative attitudes also spread and drag others down. This, I believe, is part of the reason why it's important to try to have patience and a positive attitude, partly for one's own benefit, and partly for the benefit of others. It's good to spread positive attitudes, and it's important not to spread negative ones.
To that end, when I feel myself having negative emotions, I sometimes try to distance myself from others, so my negative attitude can't rub off on them and/or so their negative attitudes can't continue to rub off on me. Of course, that's not always possible. When I have a negative attitude and have to be around others, I at least try to stay quiet, so my negative attitude doesn't spread.
In contrast, when I have a positive attitude, I try to share it. When I feel good, I try to help others feel good as well.
We should be mindful of our attitudes and whether or not we want them to spread, because attitudes can be contagious, whether we want to spread them or not.
1 comment:
It's thoughtful of you to consider how you affect others.
I've found that letting people know how you are feeling can be helpful. If you say, "I'm having a bad day." or "I'm feeling cranky.", it can help you feel a little better, & helps them give you some slack (as well as letting others know it's not about them). I think acknowledging it also helps against spreading the negativity.
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