Negativism philosophy. Negativism in adults. Not admitting is the best, but sometimes difficult way out.

Levels of negativity

Woody Allen once wrote that two elderly ladies were vacationing at a resort in Catskill, and one said: "How bad the food is here." And the second added: “And don't speak! The portions are also small. " Allen wrote that he feels about the same in relation to life. Negativism, as a manifestation of a negative attitude, manifests itself both totally and selectively - at different levels - communicative, behavioral or deep (without external manifestations).

Communicative (superficial) negativism: at the level of words, people swear, object and accuse. At the same time, with regard to relationships and affairs, it can be a "negative" person, and positive, and loving, and constructive.

Behavioral negativism: a person refuses or does the opposite, in defiance of requirements and requests.

Passive negativism: a person ignores requests and demands.

Active negativism (protest) - a person does everything exactly the opposite, no matter what he is asked.

Negativism can also manifest itself in relation to society or a group: it seems to a person that these people suppress his individuality, and he tries to do everything "differently from others."

Similarity of concepts

The concept of nonconformism (disagreement) is similar to the concept of negativism, which means active rejection of the established order, generally accepted norms, values, laws or traditions. The opposite concept is conformism - when a person receives the installation “to be like everyone else”. As a rule, nonconformists are subjected to pressure and aggressive behavior from conformists who represent the “silent majority”. Both conformism and nonconformism are elements of immature, childish behavior. Mature, more mature behavior is independent behavior. And even more adult manifestations of behavior are love and care, when people regard their freedom as not that they can not do something, but that they can do what is worthy, what is of value to him.

Negativism also manifests itself in the perception of life: a person has an intention to see a continuous negative in life: instead of successes, he sees mistakes, instead of opportunities - problems, and instead of advantages - disadvantages. This is the so-called negative perception of the world - when a person perceives the world mainly through a negative attitude, in dark and gloomy colors, he is used to noticing only the bad in everything. A negative perception of the world often becomes negativism in the future - an attitude towards a person or group of people with negative prejudice.

There is also a concept of deep negativism: regardless of how a person will communicate externally, internally he treats others with a negative prejudice, he does not trust people, sees only intent and sabotage, he blames and suspects people, provokes negativism from others.

In babies, negativism often manifests itself as an objection: "Take a walk, something you stayed at home!" - “I don’t want to, I’m drawing!”. "You should read today - get busy!" - "I don't want to, I'm going outside!" - this is how the child's desires are at the same time directly opposite to requirements, requests or suggestions. As for the age periods, negativism is a more characteristic feature for children during the age crisis. It is also typical of teenagers - this is the so-called teenage negativism. When its manifestation is a tendency to object. For example, a teenage girl learns to walk in high-heeled shoes. "You probably barely walk on such a high stiletto heel?" - But she, of course, objects: "No, it's okay!". So she herself gives the correct operational suggestion. In addition, negativism is also found in older people, but, be that as it may, it always exacerbates during periods of personal failure.

Causes and symptoms of negativism: how to avoid its development in yourself

The reasons are very diverse, it is impossible to deny both the genetic factor and the undoubted influence of the altered hormonal background. With regard to psychological reasons, then, first of all, we are talking about helplessness, lack of skills and knowledge, how to overcome the problem, struggle for power and self-affirmation, lack of attention, expressions of hostility and revenge. Sometimes this is a manifestation of a painful version of a negative perception of the world. yourself through negative motivation. Negative motivation is based on:

- out of fear of running into trouble or losing what you have;

- on feelings of guilt;

- on dissatisfaction with their results;

- in the absence of personal life;

- on the desire to prove something to others, to "do" them.

It is worth noting that it is very dangerous to point out the symptoms of negativism in other people, because people with developing negativism will react to this with protection, and more and more will become stronger in their negativism. If you start to take care of yourself or ask loved ones to tell you when you "fall into negativism", success becomes quite real.

Life is colored with the colors we tend to notice. However, some people get pleasant impressions from life, while others tend to notice only the bad. An attitude towards life, people and the world with a negative bias is called negativism.

Negativism can be of a behavioral nature, that is, it manifests itself in a tendency to refuse requests, to accept everything "with hostility", to act the other way around or in defiance of requirements.

There are two types of negativism:

• passive negativism - ignoring requests and demands;
• active negativism - a person loudly protests and does the opposite.

Negativism has age characteristics. It is mainly typical for children of crisis periods: three years old, adolescence. Often this phenomenon is observed in elderly (old) people also during the period of age or professional (creative) crisis. Negativism is exacerbated during periods of personal failure or stressful situations.

However, a situation is often observed in which negativism is not age-related, but most likely a personal feature. People with negativism behave in protest regardless of the situation and age.

If negativism is associated with poor health or an unimportant mood, then it manifests itself in everything at once: in behavior, communication style, outlook on life. Sometimes negativism is associated with a person's upbringing, so often negative words are at odds with deeds. Spouses can swear and scandal, but at the same time, in case of problems, they take care of each other. Also, some parents often behave towards children. There are also opposite manifestations. Polite pleasant people in their essence can turn out to be misanthropists with asocial attitudes.

Negativism can manifest itself in relation to certain people, or it can be directed to the whole world. It may seem to a person that his exclusivity is suppressed in society. The negative person tries to do everything differently from what others do or what others expect from him.

It is difficult for a person with negativism to live on his own. But it's even more difficult to live next to him. Doing business with a negative person is very difficult or almost impossible. Such people are prone to negative attitudes. In all details, they tend to see the negative (trick, set up). A person expects mistakes from his activities, not successes; problems, not opportunities; disadvantages, not advantages.

Interestingly, negativists tend to be friends with each other. It is convenient for them to speak negatively about life, "throw mud" on the people around them. Such people are not at all surprised that people treat them badly, since they themselves also relate to others. Naturally, they do not expect good from people and the world, since they themselves do not wish good to those around them.

Deep negativism is very difficult to recognize. It is difficult to notice in a seemingly positive person a hateful attitude towards society. Such people do not trust others, they constantly see intent and sabotage, provoking other people to negative actions.

Causes of negativism

Negativism can be caused by:

• genetic conditioning;
• hormonal surge during crisis periods;
• features of upbringing;
• cultural environment.

It should be said that negativism is often a feature of the mentality. Many people tend to notice flaws first. A typical situation might be that people tend to swear rather than talk.

Negativism may be absent in a person from the very beginning. It can be caused by certain circumstances. Psychological reasons can be:

• helplessness in solving the problem, lack of skills and knowledge;
• self-assertion or power struggle;
• desire to attract attention;
• revenge, dislike.

Sometimes negativism can have psychiatric reasons.

The difficulty in dealing with negativism lies in the fact that a person cannot be directly pointed to its manifestations. This is dangerous, since people with negativism react aggressively to any activity in their direction. The fight against other people's negativism is a difficult and ungrateful phenomenon. It can only be done by a group of people with a creative attitude to life.

Close people of a negative person may simply not notice manifestations of negativism, surrounding a loved one with warmth and attention. True, this requires tremendous patience and true love.

If you observe manifestations of negativism, then you need to constantly monitor your own behavior and thoughts.

It is quite possible to develop a positive attitude towards the environment. It only takes a few steps to do this:

• Step 1: take off the position of the victim: do not whine, do not complain, do not feel sorry for yourself.
• Step 2: take on the role of the author: the ability to build your life.
• Step 3: learning to thank the people around you and life in general.

Negativism is an unpleasant phenomenon, but quite amenable to correction if there are close positive people nearby.

The term "negativism" is used in psychology to characterize the state of a person who resists any manifestation of external influence. Attention should be paid to the fact that a rational explanation for such a behavior model is rarely found. Often, people suffering from negativism act contrary to their own desires. In this state, a person negatively perceives the surrounding reality and experiences an unbridled desire to commit acts that contradict generally accepted norms.

In the pedagogical sphere, this term is used to characterize the oppositional model of behavior, which manifests itself in the form of a lack of recognition of the authority of teachers. Let's look at how negativism manifests itself in various aspects of life.

Negativism (English negativism; from Latin negatio - negation) - resistance to impact

Various forms of manifestation of resistance

In psychology, the phenomenon of negativism is divided into two forms of manifestation: passive and active. The active form of this behavioral model implies the manifestation of aggression and sharp resistance to attempts to influence the public. Negativism has a close connection with nonconformism, which forces a person to commit acts that, in certain cases, contradict his desires. Nonconformism is a behavioral model that implies complete autonomy and sharp, conscious resistance to the pressure of society. The difference between these behaviors is that negativism often manifests itself in the form of unconscious behavior.

The passive form of the phenomenon under consideration is characterized by a complete refusal to fulfill the requirements and requests of the people around. There are physiological types of manifestation of this personality disorder, which manifest themselves in the form of refusal to eat, sleep, travel and contact with the world around them. According to experts, negativism is one of the integral components of the complex of protesting behavior. In addition to the negativism itself, this complex includes stubbornness with well-grounded motives.

Despite the fact that stubbornness is one of the manifestations of the phenomenon under consideration, with negativism, a person does not have certain motives for resisting. The only thing that connects is the two manifestations of the syndrome of protesting behavior, the presence of common subjective factors that lead to their development.

Negativism in psychology is a condition in which a person refuses to adhere to the established social foundations and norms of behavior. Such a protest has some similarities with mutism. The term "mutism" should be understood as a mental disorder that makes a person refuse to use speech and gestures in order to avoid communication with others. The main difference between these conditions is that mutism manifests itself against the background of severe emotional trauma.

The final component of the complex of protesting behavior is obstinacy. Unlike negativism and stubbornness, obstinacy is aimed at various social foundations, including important events or the very system of human values.

The most characteristic feature of this resistance is its groundlessness, the absence of reasonable grounds for it.

The reason for the change in behavior

According to experts, negativism is an integral part of complex mental disorders. Such disorders include catatonic syndrome, schizophrenia, dementia, and autism. Often, a person under the influence of prolonged depression, changes his own model of behavior towards the phenomenon in question.

If we consider negativism in a wide range of manifestations, then we can say that the main reason for its appearance is the state of frustration.

Most often, this condition arises against the background of a long absence of the ability to satisfy their own needs. In such a state, a person negatively perceives the environment and life circumstances. Against the background of such a perception of the surrounding world, a person experiences psychological discomfort, which is reflected in the behavioral model.

The desire to change social foundations and refusal to comply with established norms may arise against the background of the complexity of integration into society. The presence of this problem leads to a hypercompensatory reaction, which is triggered against the background of communicative difficulties. The considered model of behavior can be expressed by furious stubbornness to any attempt to exert external pressure. If a person with the disorder in question feels that the demands of society are significantly different from his internal needs, a kind of defensive reaction will start. Experts explain this fact by the fact that an individual needs freedom of expression and the ability to control his own life.

How negativism and age are interrelated

Before talking about the relationship between a person's age and his behavioral model, let's pay attention to the question of what non-conformism is, the definition and manifestation of this state. The term "nonconformism" should be understood as a model of behavior that implies the upholding of personal attitudes that directly contradict the norms established in society. A striking example of such a model of behavior is children who identify themselves as belonging to different subcultures (punks, goths and other informals).

According to statistics, a person faces several age-related crises in his life. This period of life will mark changes in behavior patterns and perception of the surrounding world, which manifests itself in the form of frequent emotional changes. During an age crisis, a person shows increased conflict, aggressiveness and pessimistic perception of the world around him. In most cases, negativism is an integral part of these changes in perception. Most often, the phenomenon under consideration is built into the model of human behavior under the influence of stress factors, which leave the individual defenseless against external influences.

Negativism is caused by the action of psychological defense in response to influences that contradict the internal meanings of the subject

According to scientific research, the vast majority of age-related crises occur between the ages of one month and twenty years. Let's take a look at the most common crises:

• newborn crisis;
• crisis of the first year of life and three years;
• school crisis;
• crisis of puberty.

In a more mature age, a person encounters only two types of crisis periods. These periods include reaching middle age and the psychological stress caused by retirement.

How negativism manifests itself in childhood

Negativism in children most often manifests itself at the age of three, since the foundation of a personal model of behavior is laid precisely at this age. Upon reaching the above age, children begin to strive for independence, which leads to the emergence of categorical and stubbornness. This period can be best described using the phrase "I myself". The desire to independently explore the world is rarely accompanied by the ability to independently perform the desired actions. Against this background, frustration develops, which acts as an integral part of negativism.

Young parents should be able to distinguish between the manifestation of the phenomenon in question and the usual disobedience. Refusal from actions that the baby does not want to perform is the norm for this age. The phenomenon under consideration manifests itself in cases where the child shows a pronounced refusal to comply with requests voiced by adults.

Clinical picture

Negativism is a symptom of the crisis caused by the transition to a certain stage of human development. In addition, this condition is common in many mental disorders. The form of manifestation of this model of behavior depends on the type of negativism (passive or active), and can be expressed as demonstrative insubordination and passive resistance. Many people suffering from this disorder often ignore the recommendations of specialists, which greatly complicates the treatment process.

Negativism most often manifests itself in children in relation to the requirements of adults, which do not take into account their internal needs

Negativism manifests itself in the human model of behavior in the form of the following signs:

1. Difficulty creating communication links and interacting with people around.
2. Hot temper, isolation and conflict.
3. Distrust and increased anxiety.
4. A rare desire to make concessions contrary to their own opinion.

In adulthood, manifestations of negativism are very similar to nihilism. Nihilism is a specific worldview model that is characterized as a conscious human choice. People with negativism, unlike nihilists, do not have the ability to control their own behavior.

Experts say that it is extremely difficult to describe the inner perception of the surrounding world of a person suffering from negativism, due to the fact that this model of behavior is perceived as the norm. This disorder can be characterized as the presence of difficulties in the formation of needs and desires. Often, the development of the disorder is accompanied by internal conflicts and aggression directed at oneself. With a passive form of the disorder, patients experience lethargy of consciousness, bordering on indifference to the events taking place around them.

How to deal with the problem

Examples of non-conformism are often found in our life. Examples of such behavior in society can be various coups d'etat, when people who disagree with the established order, try to impose their own values ​​on the society. In contrast to non-conformism, negativism is more often manifested in everyday life that is not connected with the public. The presence of such disorders in loved ones is a good reason for contacting a specialist. Only the psychological influence of an experienced doctor can resolve the internal conflict, which is the root cause of pathological stubbornness.

In the case of preschool children, various methods of mental correction are used, based on the format of games and fairy tales. When negativism appears in adolescence, cognitive-behavioral techniques are used. It is very important to be able to find the necessary thread that will allow you to get in touch with a teenager who is closed in his own world. In order to achieve the desired result, the child's parents must be directly involved in the treatment. Correcting behavior will require you to apply all your ingenuity, since otherwise, you can face the emotional barrier that the teenager will build.

It is important for parents to understand that psychological pressure exerted on a child can only lead to a worsening of the situation. Threats and physical punishment will force the child to withdraw into his own world. Experts recommend using a soft impact technique that is based on trade-offs. Parents should try to become the initiators of conflicts with their children as little as possible.

The main task of therapy is to teach the child to properly interact with the outside world, thanks to the instilling of positive behavioral models. Achieving results in changing your own behavioral model should be accompanied by praise and understanding. Positive reinforcement is essential for an incompletely formed psyche.

Negativism can be expressed both in the refusal to comply with the requirements, and in the performance of actions opposite to the required ones.

Preventive methods

Conformity and non-conformism are a kind of balance of the human model of behavior. The predominance of one of the sides of this phenomenon can negatively affect the perception of the surrounding world. In order to prevent this mental disorder in loved ones, you should provide them with support and attention. Most often, people entering a crisis age need such support.

When carrying out prophylaxis in children, it is important to train them to adapt correctly in society. Elderly people should be given special attention, since often, upon reaching old age, a person loses communication with others. Remember that it is very important to prevent the development of frustration in a timely manner, since this condition is the main root cause of the development of negativism.

Previously, a completely obedient kid suddenly begins to arrange "scenes", stomp his feet in an attempt to achieve what he wants. Sometimes the intensity of the crisis period is so high that parents reach for valerian to calm shattered nerves.

Meanwhile, psychologists are convinced that the crisis of three years is an obligatory stage in the life of every child, when he separates from the adult and realizes himself as an independent unit. Therefore, you should not be afraid and, moreover, prevent growing up, but you should definitely help your baby to survive this period with maximum benefit.

What is a 3-year crisis?

Wise nature does not tolerate static and unchanging phenomena, which is why literally everything that surrounds us is in constant development and movement.

This rule can also be attributed to the child's psyche, which changes and becomes more complicated over time.

Periodically, in the process of mental development, crisis stages occur, which are characterized by the rapid accumulation of knowledge and skills and the transition to a higher level.

But above all, the crisis of three years is a breakdown and restructuring of social relations. The question of why it comes and what it is needed for is quite natural. Let's try to answer in a somewhat allegorical way.

A baby in a family of loving parents grows like a chick in an shell. The world around us is clear, in the "shell" it is very comfortable and calm. However, such protection is not eternal, and there comes a certain period when it cracks.

The shell breaks, and the child realizes a curious thought: he can perform some actions himself and is able to do without even the help of his beloved mother. That is, the baby begins to perceive himself as an autonomous person who has desires and some opportunities.

The American scientist Eric Erickson argued that the three-year crisis contributes to the formation of volitional qualities and independence in a child.

But, despite the desire to become more independent, kids are not yet competent enough, therefore, in many situations, it is simply impossible to do without the help of adults. Thus, a contradiction arises between "I want" ("I myself") and "I can."

It is interesting that the main negative is directed at the closest people and, first of all, at the mother. With the rest of the adults and peers, the baby can behave absolutely evenly. Consequently, it is the relatives who are responsible for the optimal way out of the baby from the crisis.

This stage of personality formation is only conventionally referred to as the "crisis of three years." The first symptoms of disobedience are sometimes noted as early as 18 - 20 months, but they reach their greatest intensity in the period from 2.5 to 3.5 years.

The duration of this phenomenon is also conditional and is usually only a few months. However, in the event of an unfavorable development of events, the crisis may drag on for a couple of years.

The severity of psychoemotional reactions, however, like the duration of the period, depends on characteristics such as:

• children's temperament (in choleric people, the signs are brighter);
• parenting style (parental authoritarianism exacerbates the manifestations of child negativism);
• features of the relationship between mother and child (the closer the relationship, the easier it is to overcome negative moments).

Indirect conditions can also affect the intensity of emotional reactions. For example, it will be more difficult for a child to survive a crisis if the peak of the phenomenon falls on adaptation to kindergarten or the appearance of a younger brother or sister in the family.

7 main signs of the phenomenon

Psychology characterizes the crisis of 3 years as a seven-star symptom. These distinctive qualities help to accurately determine that the child has entered the time of independence from adults, and his emotionality is not the result of spoiledness or ordinary harm.

This manifestation must be distinguished from the elementary childish disobedience that occurs at any age. The behavior of a naughty child is determined by his desires, which do not coincide with parental requirements.

Sometimes the crisis period proceeds quite smoothly, without obvious symptoms and is characterized only by the emergence of certain personal neoplasms, among which:

• the child's awareness of his "I";
• talking about yourself in the first person;
• the emergence of self-esteem;
• the emergence of volitional qualities and perseverance.

As already noted, the crisis will be much milder if parents take into account the age and individual characteristics of the baby when choosing the optimal educational measures.

In general, three-year-olds have some common behavioral traits, which are worth mentioning in more detail in order to take them into account when communicating with a baby:

1. Children are trying to achieve the end result of their actions. For a three-year-old child, it is important to finish the job, be it drawing or washing dishes, so failures often do not stop him, but only stimulate him.
2. The kid likes to demonstrate the obtained result to adults. That is why parents need to give positive assessments of the results of children's activities, because a negative or indifferent attitude can lead to negative self-perception in children.
3. The emerging self-esteem makes the child touchy, dependent on other people's opinions and even boastful. Therefore, parents' inattention to childhood experiences can become a source of negative self-determination.

Thus, the emergence of one's own “I”, the ability to achieve one's own and the dependence on the assessments of close people become the main results of the three-year-old crisis and mark the child's transition to the next stage of childhood - preschool.

The crisis of 3 years old is not a reason to panic and consider your child bad and uncontrollable. All children go through this period, but it is in your power to make its course as painless and fruitful as possible for the baby. To do this, you just need to respect him as a person.

In psychology, negativism is understood as a person's resistance to any external influence, devoid of rational prerequisites, even in spite of his own well-being.

In a more general sense, this concept denotes a generally negative perception of the surrounding world, the desire to do everything in spite of requests and expectations.

In pedagogy, the term "negativism" is applied to children who are characterized by an oppositional manner of behaving with people who should be their authority (teachers, parents).

Active and passive forms of resistance

It is customary to distinguish two main forms of negativism: active and passive. Passive negativism is expressed in absolute disregard for demands and requests.

With an active form, a person shows aggression and sharply resists any attempts to influence him. As one of the subspecies of active negativism, one can single out the paradoxical one, when a person does everything intentionally the other way around, even if it is at odds with his real desires.

Separately, there are purely physiological manifestations of this state, when a person refuses to eat, practically does not move, does not speak.

Related concepts

Negativism is part of a trio of manifestations of a complex of protest behavior in a child.

The second component is stubbornness, which can be considered a form of negativism, with the only amendment that stubbornness in any issue has its own specific reasons, while negativism is resistance that is not motivated by anything. What unites these phenomena is that both one and the other arise on the basis of purely subjective sensations of a person.

One of the closest phenomena to negativism (as a psychiatric term) is mutism. This is a condition in which a person avoids any communication, both through speech and through gestures. But, unlike negativism, mutism is mainly the result of severe shock.

The third component is obstinacy, the difference from stubbornness is that it is directed not at a specific person, but in general at the educational system, the development of events, and so on.

Complex of reasons and factors

As a psychiatric diagnosis, negativism is most often observed in the development of (schizophrenia, agitation and stupor), autism, (including senile) and some types of depression.

When negativism is meant in a broader context, then among the reasons for its occurrence, it is customary to first of all call frustration caused by prolonged and very strong dissatisfaction with life circumstances and the environment around a person. In turn, this frustration creates a strong psychological discomfort, to compensate for which the person resorts to negativistic behavior.

Another possible reason for the emergence of resistance can be difficulties with communication in a person. In this case, such a state arises as a hypercompensatory reaction to one's own communication problems.

In the form of violent stubbornness, negativism arises as a response to attempts at external influence that are at odds with a person's personal needs and desires. Such a reaction is due to a person's need for his own opinion, self-expression, control over his own life.

Relationship with age

Age crises, which characterize the transition from one life period to another, are often accompanied by changes in character and thinking, frequent mood swings.

At this time, a person becomes conflicted and even to a certain extent aggressive, a pessimistic view of the world around him prevails. Negativism is almost always a symptom of such a crisis, which just manifests itself in stressful situations, when a person is as vulnerable and defenseless as possible.

Critical ages

During his life, a person experiences several age crises, most of which occur at the age of up to 20 years:

• newborn crisis;
• crisis of the 1st year of life;
• crisis 3 years;
• crisis 6-7 years ("school crisis");
• crisis of adolescence (from about 12 to 17 years).

In adult life, only two critical periods await a person associated with the transition from one age to another:

• middle age crisis;
• stress associated with retirement.

Pathological resistance in children 3 years old

Naturally, the first two periods are not characterized by negativism, but already at the age of three, when children begin to show a desire for independence, parents are faced with the first manifestations of children's stubbornness and categoricalness.

That is why this period is often called "I myself", as this name best describes the state of a child at three years old. The child wants to perform most of the actions on his own, but at the same time desires do not coincide with the possibilities, which leads to frustration, which, as already mentioned above, is one of the main causes of this state.

At the same time, one should not confuse negativism and simple disobedience of the child. It's okay when a toddler refuses to do something he doesn't want to do. Negativism, on the other hand, manifests itself in situations when a child refuses to perform any action exactly if it was suggested to him by adults.

View from the outside

If we talk about a psychiatric term, then in this case negativism itself acts as a symptom for a certain number of diseases. Moreover, depending on the form (active or passive), it can manifest itself both in demonstrative disobedience and in passive resistance to any doctor's requests, which in this case is its most important feature.

As for negativism from a pedagogical or general psychological point of view, the main external manifestations in this case will be speech and behavioral signs:

• difficulties with communication, interaction with others, even the closest people;
• conflicts;
• refusal to compromise;
• skepticism and distrust bordering on paranoia.

In the case of adults, do not confuse negativism and nihilism. Nihilism is a worldview position, and despite the fact that its external manifestations are similar to the manifestations of negativism, it is a conscious choice of a person, while people with pathological stubbornness behave in this way unconsciously.

How it feels from the inside

The feelings of the person himself are quite difficult to describe, primarily because such people are rarely aware of their condition like crazy.

The internal state will be characterized by an extreme degree of confusion in one's own desires and needs, conflicts with oneself, sometimes auto-aggression.

The passive form in this case can be felt as inhibition of consciousness, an extreme degree of indifference towards all things and people around.

What if your family is affected?

If it seems to you that some of your loved ones have signs of negativism in behavior, then, first of all, you should contact a psychologist or psychotherapist to resolve the internal problems that caused such a condition, since such pathological stubbornness in itself is only a consequence , therefore, in order to overcome it, it is necessary to work with the root cause.

Among the methods of psychotherapy for preschoolers and younger students, game therapy, fairy tale therapy, etc. are most suitable.

For adolescent negativists and adults, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the best choice. It is also important not to forget about your own attitude towards your loved ones. Psychotherapy will be most successful only if you work on the problem as a team.

In order to correct negativistic behavior and, if possible, avoid any conflicts, it is necessary to be creative. This is especially true for children.

It is necessary to exclude any psychological pressure on the child, in no case should there be threats or physical punishment - this will only aggravate the situation. You will have to use the so-called "soft power" - to negotiate, adjust, make compromises.

It is advisable to generally avoid situations in which a conflict may arise.

Your primary concern is for your child to begin to follow positive patterns of communication and interaction with others. Do not forget to praise him every time he does something good, makes concessions, helps you, and communicates calmly with other people. In overcoming negativism, the mechanism of positive reinforcement plays a critical role.

Not admitting is the best, but sometimes difficult way out.

In order to prevent the development of such a condition in children and the elderly, it is first of all necessary to surround them with care and attention.

It is important to ensure that the socialization and integration of children into society is as successful and problem-free as possible, and that the elderly do not lose communication skills.

You cannot put pressure on people (of any age) and impose on them your point of view on anything, make them do what they do not want.

It is necessary to ensure that there is no feeling of frustration, especially carefully you need to observe your own state. Frustration is the first step towards negativity.

The most important thing to remember about all of the above: negativism is not a cause, but an effect. You can get rid of it only by getting rid of the problem that caused it.

It is also important to remember and not to confuse the term, which in psychology and pedagogy denotes irrational resistance to any influence with simple stubbornness and disobedience characteristic of all children.

The behavior of a person with negativism can be successfully corrected. In this case, it is advisable to consult a professional doctor.