“Let’s initiate positive change” – “we reward positive behaviour and reprimand negative attitudes”
Usually, people differentiate between positive and negative “stuff” in their world. Usually, this differentiation depends on their beliefs, cultural setting, what’s socially accepted, their upbringing, experiences, etc.
I stopped using “positive” and “negative” and use “life-supportive” or “life-affirming” and “life-destructive” instead. Why? Because I see how often positive/negative triggers a judgmental attitude – we tend to categorise into positive/negative = good/bad, negative being bad, positive being good. But what’s positive in my world might not be the same in yours. Instead I ask myself: has this (behaviour/project/person/etc.) a life-supportive/life-affirming effect or does it hinder/block/destroy life? And if it destroys life in the short run (e.g. killing another life form), might it have a life-supportive effect in the long run?
As you can imagine these kind of questions initiate a complex and “wholeistic” thought process that can help with decision-making and that is, in my view, much more efficient and “life-supportive” than following the often blurry positive/negative track ;)
Positive/negative easily triggers a judgment whereas life-affirming/life-destructive triggers an assessment.
Usually, people differentiate between positive and negative “stuff” in their world. Usually, this differentiation depends on their beliefs, cultural setting, what’s socially accepted, their upbringing, experiences, etc.
I stopped using “positive” and “negative” and use “life-supportive” or “life-affirming” and “life-destructive” instead. Why? Because I see how often positive/negative triggers a judgmental attitude – we tend to categorise into positive/negative = good/bad, negative being bad, positive being good. But what’s positive in my world might not be the same in yours. Instead I ask myself: has this (behaviour/project/person/etc.) a life-supportive/life-affirming effect or does it hinder/block/destroy life? And if it destroys life in the short run (e.g. killing another life form), might it have a life-supportive effect in the long run?
As you can imagine these kind of questions initiate a complex and “wholeistic” thought process that can help with decision-making and that is, in my view, much more efficient and “life-supportive” than following the often blurry positive/negative track ;)
Positive/negative easily triggers a judgment whereas life-affirming/life-destructive triggers an assessment.
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