--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am a firm believer in 'negative…" description: "\"I am a firm believer in 'negative thinking' when used correctly. We need to be AWARE of negatives so that we can steer clear of them. A golfer needs to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c33/maxwell-maltz-3463_believer_i-am-a-firm-believer-in-negative-thinkin_1517668.png" --- # I am a firm believer in 'negative thinking' when used… ![“I am a firm believer in 'negative thinking' when used correctly. We need to be AWARE of negatives so that we can steer clear of them. A golfer needs to know where the bunkers and sand traps are - but he doesn't think continuously about the bunker - where he doesn't want to go. His mind glances at…” quote by Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c33/maxwell-maltz-3463_believer_i-am-a-firm-believer-in-negative-thinkin_1517668.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c33/maxwell-maltz-3463_believer_i-am-a-firm-believer-in-negative-thinkin_1517668.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c33/maxwell-maltz-3463_believer_i-am-a-firm-believer-in-negative-thinkin_1517668.png) > “I am a firm believer in 'negative thinking' when used correctly. We need to be AWARE of negatives so that we can steer clear of them. A golfer needs to know where the bunkers and sand traps are - but he doesn't think continuously about the bunker - where he doesn't want to go. His mind glances at the bunker, but he DWELLS upon the green.” [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Negative thinking can be a tool to identify hazards, but focus should stay on positive pathways rather than dwelling on threats. **In simple terms:** Use negatives to map obstacles, then focus on the goal. Key Takeaway Identify risks, then concentrate on success. Themes risk awareness focus mental discipline Mood pragmatic motivational Type self‑help psychology When to use this quote - sports coaching - project planning - personal development Key Concepts cognitive strategy goal orientation Questions to Reflect On - What negative scenarios do you need to anticipate? - How do you shift attention back to the positive? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on negatives can cause anxiety and paralysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aware Negatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aware-negatives-5601555/) [Believer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believer/) [Bunkers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bunkers/) [Clear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clear/) [Firm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firm/) [Glances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glances/) [Golf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golf/) [Golfers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golfers/) [Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/green/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Negative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negative/) [Negative thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negative-thinking/) [Negatives Steer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negatives-steer-5601554/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Sand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sand/) [Steers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steers/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Traps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traps/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [The moment the average golfer attempts to play from long grass or a bunker or from a difficult lie of any kind, he becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-jones/the-moment-the-average-golfer-attempts-to-play-from-long-grass-or-a/) [Bobby Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-jones/) > [If your opponent is playing several shots in vain attempts to extricate himself from a bunker, do not stand near him and audibly count…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-vardon/if-your-opponent-is-playing-several-shots-in-vain-attempts-to/) [Harry Vardon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-vardon/) > [When I was released by the Americans I read historian Trevor Roper's book, 'The Last Days of Hitler'. Throughout the book like a red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-reitsch/when-i-was-released-by-the-americans-i-read-historian-trevor-roper-s/) [Hanna Reitsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-reitsch/) > [We have certain things where we know they exist or "everybody knows they exist," but naturally nobody can photograph them, because they are so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-emmerich/we-have-certain-things-where-we-know-they-exist-or-everybody-knows/) [Roland Emmerich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-emmerich/) > [When a friend of Abigail and John Adams was killed at Bunker Hill, Abigail's response was to write a letter to her husband and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/when-a-friend-of-abigail-and-john-adams-was-killed-at-bunker-hill/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [If Israel sent the IDF three kilometers into Lebanon and started digging trenches and building bunkers it would make news all over the world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-totten/if-israel-sent-the-idf-three-kilometers-into-lebanon-and-started/) [Michael Totten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-totten/) > [I want to improve my bunker, fairway and putting status because that's been my weakness over the last three years. If I can just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yani-tseng/i-want-to-improve-my-bunker-fairway-and-putting-status-because-that-s/) [Yani Tseng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yani-tseng/) > [What am I responsible for? Who am I responsible to? Everybody? How come when Archie Bunker nailed everybody, it was funny - but when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kinison/what-am-i-responsible-for-who-am-i-responsible-to-everybody-how-come/) [Sam Kinison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kinison/) > [We'll make a bunker hill of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pickett/we-ll-make-a-bunker-hill-of-it/) [George Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pickett/) > [You can't hold me to the same standard as the president or a school teacher. I'm just a comedian. My job is like Archie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/you-can-t-hold-me-to-the-same-standard-as-the-president-or-a-school/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [Do you realize it’s been only a century that we’ve been able to go from house to car to office to car to wherever,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/do-you-realize-it-s-been-only-a-century-that-we-ve-been-able-to-go/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [Either a wise man will not go into bunkers, or, being in, he will endure such things as befall him with patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/either-a-wise-man-will-not-go-into-bunkers-or-being-in-he-will-endure/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Rest assured that our work is not over because our work has never been only hunting Nazi war criminals. The Simon Wiesenthal Center is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-hier/rest-assured-that-our-work-is-not-over-because-our-work-has-never/) [Marvin Hier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-hier/) > [If mass media, social isolation in the suburbs, alienating workplaces and long car commutes create a bunker mentality, the Internet does the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-steffen/if-mass-media-social-isolation-in-the-suburbs-alienating-workplaces/) [Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/) > [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/) [William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/) ## More by Maxwell Maltz > [This Creative Mechanism within you is impersonal. It will work automatically and impersonally to achieve goals of success and happiness, or unhappiness and failure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/this-creative-mechanism-within-you-is-impersonal-it-will-work/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [Your automatic guidance system cannot guide you when you're stalled, “standing still”.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/your-automatic-guidance-system-cannot-guide-you-when-you-re-stalled/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [You can do only one thing at a time. 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A bicycle maintains its poise and equilibrium only so long as it's moving forward towards something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/functionally-a-man-is-somewhat-like-a-bicycle-a-bicycle-maintains-its/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [Faith, courage, optimism, looking forward, bring us new life and more life. Futility, frustration, living in the past are not only characteristic of 'old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/faith-courage-optimism-looking-forward-bring-us-new-life-and-more/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [If you make friends with yourself you will never be alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/if-you-make-friends-with-yourself-you-will-never-be-alone/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [People who say that life is not worthwhile are really saying that they themselves have no personal goals which are worthwhile. Prescription: Get yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/people-who-say-that-life-is-not-worthwhile-are-really-saying-that/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [Take the trouble to stop and think of the other person's feelings, his viewpoints, his desires and needs. Think more of what the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/take-the-trouble-to-stop-and-think-of-the-other-person-s-feelings-his/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [Your present negative beliefs were formed by thought PLUS feelings. 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We act, or fail to act, not because of will, as is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/for-imagination-sets-the-goal-picture-which-our-automatic-mechanism/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [If you wait until circumstances justify your thinking pleasant thoughts, you are likely to wait forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/if-you-wait-until-circumstances-justify-your-thinking-pleasant/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) [Explore all 130 Maxwell Maltz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) ## More Believer quotes > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [I've always been a believer in research. It's great to have an instinctual human reaction to a character, too, of course, but it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-ve-always-been-a-believer-in-research-it-s-great-to-have-an/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [God has given believers the responsibility of spreading the Gospel to all the world, and we need to use all at our disposal to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-epp/god-has-given-believers-the-responsibility-of-spreading-the-gospel-to/) [Theodore Epp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-epp/) > [I am not a great believer in dialectical struggle. I am much more of a fusion person. I see it as a dialogue, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-warner/i-am-not-a-great-believer-in-dialectical-struggle-i-am-much-more-of-a/) [Marina Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-warner/) > [Oh, I'm a great believer in the power of the pause. Radio is a bit brasher now. My style was slower. 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