We are not surrounded enough by people who don't see, say and think negatively. While chalking out in my mind how to start writing on negativity, I reminded myself of a rule of writing: a thought presented in a positive register is imbued with greater impact than the same in a negative register. I was inclined to start the article as thus: People exuding positivity are now in the minority. But then, I yielded to the overwhelming majority and wrote the first sentence as above.

It is, however, natural to be surrounded by naysayers as W H Auden writes in his ballad The Three Companions. But you might be thinking how we can recognise such people. They are conspicuous by their presence which they by default make palpable as they cannot keep themselves mute for long. It is imperative to note their idiosyncrasies if you want to keep them at bay because negative thoughts are menacingly contagious.

Their thoughts are irrational as they love to distort reality. That's why they are inured to distorted cognition - overestimating threats or assuming the........

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