Attitude

• Meaning and factors that determine our attitude

• Benefits of a positive attitude and consequences of a negative attitude

• Steps to building a positive attitude

Attitude is defined as the way in which we perceive the world around us and more specifically it
can be defined as our opinion, state of mind, and views on a particular topic called attitude
object.

Attitude Definition

Attitude is a mental and neutral state of readiness organized through experience, exerting a
directive or dynamic influence upon individual’s response to all objects and situations with which
it is related.
G.W. Allport

Attitude Meaning
In simple words, an “attitude” is an individual’s way of looking or an individual’s point of view
at something.

To be more specific, an “attitude” may be defined as the mental state of an individual, which

prepares him to react or make him behave in a particular pre-determined way. It is actually an
acquired feeling.
Attitude is the mixture of beliefs and feelings that people have about situations, specific ideas
or other people.

Attitude Formation
The question often arises, ‘how are the attitudes and subsequent behaviors formed?’ While
attitudes are basically learned over the years, some inherited characteristics do affect such
attitudes

Some of the learned characteristics responsible for attitude formation are:

1. Experiences
2. Perceptual biases
3. Observation of other person attitude
4. Association
5. Personality
Attitude Formation
1. Experiences
Our personal experiences with people and situations develop our attitude towards such
persons and situations.

Through job experience, people develop attitudes towards working conditions, salaries,
supervision, group dynamics and so on.

2. Perceptual biases
Perception is the result of a complex interaction of various senses such as feelings, seeing,
hearing and so on and plays an important part in our attitude and behavioural formation.

For example, if a manager perceives a subordinate’s ability as limited, he will give him
limited responsibility. Similarly, we lose many good friends due to our changed perception
about them.

3. Observation of other person attitude

When we like someone, we try to emulate that person’s attitude.

For example, when we are impressed by someone keeping calm under stressful
circumstances and we appreciate such calmness, we might try to do the same.

4. Association
Our association with the group we belong to strongly influences our attitude. Our close
association with a group would encourage us to be consistent with the attitude of the
group.

What Does a Positive Attitude Mean?

Here are a few definitions:

1. Positive attitude is a state of mind that envisions and expects favorable results.
2. The willingness to try doing new things
3. The belief that everything would turn all right.
4. It is an attitude that helps you see the good in people.
5. It is a mental attitude that sees the good and the accomplishments in your life, rather than
the negative and the failures.
6. A positive attitude is a mindset that helps you see and recognize opportunities.
 7. Positive attitude means positive thinking.
8. It is optimism and maintaining a positive mindset.
9. It is a mental attitude that focuses on the bright side of life.
10. It is a mindset that uses the words, “I can”, and “it is possible”.

Character Traits of People with a Positive Attitude

1. A positive attitude is mental outlook of optimism and of expecting good things to happen.
People who possess this attitude are easier to get along with, are happy, and they spread
joy around them.
2. People with a positive state of mind do not dwell on the problems and difficulties of the
past, and do not let them dictate their life. Such people would rather learn from past
mistakes and move on.
3. A positive attitude can affect your life favorably in all areas. People with a positive outlook,
view life, challenges, and the situations they go through, with confidence and are sure they
can deal with them.
4. These people would not be stuck in a negative attitude of fear, lack of self-esteem and
passivity. People with a positive attitude will not let failure or obstacles stand in their way,
and will always try to find ways to overcome them.

Develop the Qualities of People with a Positive Attitude

1. Start by dumping your negative thoughts. Do you often think about failure, and how bad
your life is? You need to stop doing this. These thoughts perpetuate the negative situations.
2. When negative thoughts dominate your mind, you do not seek solutions and progress. You
just see the negative and expect it. This affects your thinking and your actions, and
unconsciously, makes you choose bad choices.
3. You need to refuse to think these thoughts and substitute them with positive thoughts
about success and happiness. This might be difficult in the beginning, but with persistence,
you will be able to change how you think.
4. Is positive attitude a part of your life, or do you let a negative attitude win? You can test
yourself to find out.
5. Try to remember what kind of thoughts you had in the past 24 hours and write them down.
Make two lists, one to include your negative thoughts, and another list, where you will write
down your positive thoughts. Then, compare the two lists. Which one is longer?
6. Are all these negative thoughts worthwhile? Do you need them? Isn’t it better to get rid of
them, and to substitute them with thoughts from your positive thinking list?
7. Continue doing so for a week, or for two weeks, and you will begin to see how your positive
attitude is improving.

Negative attitude

Negative thinking appears to be more prevalent than positive thinking. It seems that with most
people, positive thinking requires some effort, whereas, negative thinking comes easily, and
often uninvited.

This has much to do with education and the environment one has been living in.

If you have been brought up in a happy and positive environment, there is more probability
that it will be easier for you to think positively. However, If you have been brought up under
poor or difficult situations, you will more probably be inclined to negative thinking.

We view the world through our predominant mental attitude. If our thoughts are positive, that
is fine, but if they are negative, our life and circumstances would probably mirror these
negative thoughts.

If you believe that you are going to fail, you might unconsciously sabotage every opportunity to
succeed.

If you are too shy of meeting new people, or avoid having close relationships, you will do
everything to avoid people and relationships, and then complain that you are lonely and
nobody loves you.

Instead of becoming more positive and overcoming your fears, you think how difficult it is
succeed or to connect with people, and you expect to be failure or stay lonely.

The power of negative thinking in action

 Do you often think about difficulties, failure and disasters?

 Do you keep thinking about the negative news you see and hear on TV or read about in the
newspapers?
 Do you see yourself stuck and unable to improve your life or your health?
 Do you frequently think that you do not deserve happiness or money, or that it is too
difficult to get them?
If you do, then you will close your mind, see no opportunities, and behave and react in such
ways, as to repel people and opportunities.
Often, the mind does not judge or examine thoughts and opinions before accepting them. If
what it hears, sees and reads is always negative, it accepts negativity as the standard mindset.

Simple Tips to Overcome Negative Thinking

1. Every time you catch yourself thinking a negative thought, replace it with a positive one.
2. If you catch yourself visualizing failure, immediately visualize success instead.
3. If you hear yourself using negative words in your conversation, switch to positive words.
4. Instead of saying, “I cannot”, say, “I can”. Most of the time you can, but choose to say
“cannot”, due to fear, laziness or lack of self-esteem.
5. Do you repeat negative words and phrases in your mind? Change them to positive ones.
Yes, this requires you to be more alert, and to put forth some effort. You want to change
negative thinking into positive thinking, don’t you?
6. Allow more positive attitude into your life. Have more faith in yourself and expect positive
results. Affirmations and visualization can take you a long way in this direction.
7. Decide that from today, from this very moment, you are leaving negative thinking behind
you, and starting on the way toward positive thinking and behavior.
Negative thinking has a great effect on everyone’s life. It leads to failure, unhappiness and lack
of satisfaction, to worries and to fears. However, there is no reason to let it to affect your life.
You can set yourself free from it by following the tips suggested here.

The power of negative thinking is a mighty power that affects everyone. You need to be aware
of it and stop it whenever you find yourself let it infiltrates into your mind and into your
thoughts