Why do some people always see the glass as half empty?

You can certainly imagine this person for whom nothing ever goes well. A relative, friend or even colleague burdened with constant negativity and unrelenting pessimism. As if his internal software was programmed to see everything in black. In this large team, “we find profiles that have a tendency to worry, others who do not think they are capable of exhibiting the behaviors that will make them succeed, and finally those who have opportunities but are convinced that “it is not a benefit “, – notes. Psychiatrist Jean Cotra, author Get out of negative emotions (1). A mode of operation that is sometimes overwhelming and difficult for those around you to live with. “The deepest pessimism is the futility of everything,” believes the psychiatrist.

But then why? What explains this dark vision? For most pessimists, guilt lies along the personality line in neuroticism, a psychological and psychobiological trait underlying depression and anxiety. “44% of its presence can be explained by genetics,” says psychiatrist Jean Cotro, the rest comes from environmental factors. “There is a social dimension that is acquired through our education, life events, the environment in which we grow or even our influences,” says the specialist. For him, pessimism would also be quite a French evil. As an example, psychiatrist Christine Barois cites our school system, “where we stress when things are not going well, but never when things are going well,” she says. Parents can reverse this trend by praising and encouraging their children.”

Danger hunters and perfectionists

According to the doctor, certain profiles also represent the so-called mode of action. danger seeker, to understand “danger seekers,” is “inherited from the Paleolithic, when we had two concerns: to eat and not to be eaten,” he explains. So they are always on the lookout for the little creature, looking for the slightest danger. We also distinguish two different survival values ​​between optimists and pessimists; the former will fight until the last moment, the latter will always be cautious and plan the worst to avoid it. “In therapy, we see withdrawn profiles that sabotage their own potential,” comments psychiatrist Jean Coutreau. It is a behavioral, cognitive, and emotional avoidance strategy; they do not face their ideas and their emotions, and since it is useless to them to act, they adopt an attitude of backwardness and helplessness.”

It is a behavioral, cognitive, and emotional avoidance strategy

Jean Cotra, Psychiatrist

The pessimism of some people can also be explained by their perfectionism. The story is simple. they chase an ideal of perfection that exists only in their imaginations. Therefore, they condemn themselves to be eternally unhappy and to see everything in black.

Change prism

Depression may be behind some of the most severe cases. The disease involves three cognitive biases, creating a persistent negative thinking pattern. The first is what we call “causal attribution.” It is obvious that individuals always attribute the cause of an event to themselves. “The second is overgeneralization. they spread its effects to all areas of their lives. Let’s take the example of a mother whose child has a bad grade in school. She will be able to directly conclude that she is a bad mother and does everything wrong all the time,” adds the doctor. Finally, this “all the time” corresponds to the third cognitive bias, namely belief permanence. The sick individual believes this to be true “throughout life”.

That said, there is no inevitability. Certain cognitive and behavioral therapy (CBT) exercises, for example, can help overcome pessimism. These brief therapies aim to break free from the original prism of interpretation to adopt a different, more positive reading. And by helping the patient to have happier experiences, the psychologist will also simply prove that those negative beliefs are not so legitimate.

(1) Get out of negative emotionsBy Jean Cotro, (Odile Jacob editions), 304 pages, €22.90.