Like anything too much of something is bad and so is too little. Positivity is no exception to this rule. I think it is very interesting how there is actually a scientifically proven ratio of positivity one should have for maximum success. According to studies on the subject a ratio of 3 positive comments to one 1 negative comment was the ideal amount of positivity for success. I like to try to imagine what this looks like in real life. I feel we all of a person or people in our life who we know who is just always positive and I mean positive to a fault. No matter what they always see the bright side in things and in some ways that is very useful but most of the time it is just kind of annoying. Especially because it makes you ask yourself, “am I the bad guy?, should I strive to be infinitely positive all the time like this person? Will that lead to a better life for me and for others around me?” Of course the answer to all these questions if we are going off what we talked about in class is no. And after reflecting more on this I realized this infinite positivity is not good because when we do it we are not attune ourselves to others or even reality. We are simply being positive for the sake of positive and that doesn’t really help anyone in the end. There is another group we all know. They are typically happy and pleasant to be around but they also very grounded in their personality. They are sure to make the most out of every moment but no when to call out trouble when trouble is present. They are also really easy to get along with and if I had to guess this is likely the group of people that fit with in this 3:1 ratio category.
BoweryJE22 2 thoughts on “Positivity Ratios”
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I wrote a recent article on this as well and think it is super cool how something as simple as a mindset plays such a large role in the success of a salesman. A simple mindset change can make a world of difference and it makes me wonder what other jobs this applies to.
Hey Jay – I like your thoughts on the importance of balance in positivity. Your observation about the scientifically proven ratio of 3 positive comments to 1 negative comments being the ideal amount for success is very interesting. I completely agree with you that there are some people who are always positive to a fault and it can be annoying at times. I think it’s important to strike a balance between positivity and being realistic or pragmatic, and it sounds like you agree with that as well. The group of people you described who are happy and pleasant to be around but also grounded and able to recognize trouble as needed seem to be the ideal group that fits for the 3:1 ratio. Well done.