--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A person who has resolved to ‘think…" description: "\"“A person who has resolved to ‘think positive’ must constantly scan his or her mind for negative thoughts – there’s no other way that the mind could ev..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/oliver-burkeman-14344_focus_a-person-who-has-resolved-to-think-posit_2925541.png" --- # A person who has resolved to ‘think positive’ must… ![“A person who has resolved to ‘think positive’ must constantly scan his or her mind for negative thoughts – there’s no other way that the mind could ever gauge its success at the operation – yet that scanning will draw attention to the presence of negative thoughts.” quote by Oliver Burkeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/oliver-burkeman-14344_focus_a-person-who-has-resolved-to-think-posit_2925541.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/oliver-burkeman-14344_focus_a-person-who-has-resolved-to-think-posit_2925541.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/oliver-burkeman-14344_focus_a-person-who-has-resolved-to-think-posit_2925541.png) > ““A person who has resolved to ‘think positive’ must constantly scan his or her mind for negative thoughts – there’s no other way that the mind could ever gauge its success at the operation – yet that scanning will draw attention to the presence of negative thoughts.”” [Oliver Burkeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Constantly monitoring thoughts for negativity is essential to gauge positive thinking, but it also highlights the presence of negativity. **In simple terms:** Monitoring thoughts reveals both positive and negative patterns. Key Takeaway Regularly check your mindset. Themes self-awareness mindset psychology Mood reflective motivational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal development - therapy - coaching - mindfulness practice Key Concepts cognitive monitoring self-regulation Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance awareness without amplifying negativity? - What habits help sustain positivity? A Different Perspective Focusing on negativity can reinforce it. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Mind Gauge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-gauge-4284714/) [Mind Negative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-negative-390839/) [Negative thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negative-thoughts/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive/) [Positivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positivity/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Scan Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scan-mind-4284713/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Think positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-positive/) ## Related quotes > [Positive thoughts are angels of the mind. Negative thoughts are witches of the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/positive-thoughts-are-angels-of-the-mind-negative-thoughts-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A negative mind and negative thoughts will never give you a positive life or positive outcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/a-negative-mind-and-negative-thoughts-will-never-give-you-a-positive/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Negative thoughts, words and attitude creates negative and unhappy feelings, moods and behavior. When the mind is negative, poisons are released into the blood,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/negative-thoughts-words-and-attitude-creates-negative-and-unhappy/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [There is no room in your mind for negative thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/there-is-no-room-in-your-mind-for-negative-thoughts/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [There is no room in your mind for negative thoughts. The busier you keep yourself with the particulars of shot assessment and execution, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/there-is-no-room-in-your-mind-for-negative-thoughts-the-busier-you/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [Dont feed your mind with negative thoughts. If you do, you will come to believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-pulsifer/dont-feed-your-mind-with-negative-thoughts-if-you-do-you-will-come-to/) [Catherine Pulsifer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-pulsifer/) > [When you close the door of your mind to negative thoughts, the door of opportunity opens to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/when-you-close-the-door-of-your-mind-to-negative-thoughts-the-door-of/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Don't feed your mind with negative thoughts. If you do you will come to believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-feed-your-mind-with-negative-thoughts-if-you-do-you-will-come/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Be vigilant; guard your mind against negative thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-vigilant-guard-your-mind-against-negative-thoughts/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Learn to attract only positive vibes and discard the ones that are negative. The secret of doing that is by taking charge of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rvm/learn-to-attract-only-positive-vibes-and-discard-the-ones-that-are/) [RVM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rvm/) > [If you want to dismiss a negative thought, the only way to do so is to think of something positive and constructive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmet-fox/if-you-want-to-dismiss-a-negative-thought-the-only-way-to-do-so-is-to/) [Emmet Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmet-fox/) > [“Negative thoughts are the first thing that come to mind when we see something wrong. Let us not judge others. We don't know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-faitz/negative-thoughts-are-the-first-thing-that-come-to-mind-when-we-see/) [Evelyn Faitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-faitz/) > [Most power is lost in one's own mind by thinking negative thoughts, by worrying about the future, by focusing on the past, as opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/most-power-is-lost-in-one-s-own-mind-by-thinking-negative-thoughts-by/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I am what I think. Positive thoughts life me up, negative thoughts take me down. God will keep me standing:)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-wilmont/i-am-what-i-think-positive-thoughts-life-me-up-negative-thoughts-take/) [Teresa Wilmont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-wilmont/) > [It was thinking negative thoughts or thinking positive thoughts, leaving the house prepared or leaving the house unprepared that made the difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/it-was-thinking-negative-thoughts-or-thinking-positive-thoughts/) [Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/) ## More by Oliver Burkeman > [Ceaseless optimism about the future only makes for a greater shock when things go wrong; by fighting to maintain only positive beliefs about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/ceaseless-optimism-about-the-future-only-makes-for-a-greater-shock/) [Oliver Burkeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/) > [“And here lies the essential between Stoicism and the modern-day 'cult of optimism.' For the Stoics, the ideal state of mind was tranquility, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/and-here-lies-the-essential-between-stoicism-and-the-modern-day-cult/) [Oliver Burkeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/) > [“By the second day, the song lyrics had faded, but in their place came darker irritations. Gradually, I started to become aware of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/by-the-second-day-the-song-lyrics-had-faded-but-in-their-place-came/) [Oliver Burkeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/) > [Through positive thinking and related approaches, we seek the safety and solid ground of certainty, of knowing how the future will turn out, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/through-positive-thinking-and-related-approaches-we-seek-the-safety/) [Oliver Burkeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/) > [“All these counterproductive ways of thinking about failure manifest themselves most acutely in the phenomenon of perfectionism. This is one of those traits that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/all-these-counterproductive-ways-of-thinking-about-failure-manifest/) [Oliver Burkeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/) > [“Ceaseless optimism about the future only makes for a greater shock when things go wrong; by fighting to maintain only positive beliefs about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/ceaseless-optimism-about-the-future-only-makes-for-a-greater-shock-2/) [Oliver Burkeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/) > [“The greatest benefit of negative capability—the true power of negative thinking—is that it lets the mystery back in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/the-greatest-benefit-of-negative-capability-the-true-power-of/) [Oliver Burkeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/) > [What made Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein such creative geniuses? It wasn't reading books or watching YouTube talks about How To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/what-made-leonardo-da-vinci-thomas-edison-and-albert-einstein-such/) [Oliver Burkeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/) > [“Perhaps you don’t need telling that self-help books, the modern-day apotheosis of the quest for happiness, are among the things that fail to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/perhaps-you-don-t-need-telling-that-self-help-books-the-modern-day/) [Oliver Burkeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/) > [Who says you need to wait until you 'feel like' doing something in order to start doing it? The problem, from this perspective, isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/who-says-you-need-to-wait-until-you-feel-like-doing-something-in/) [Oliver Burkeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/) > [“Incremental theory’ people are different. Because they think of abilities as emerging through tackling challenges, the experience of failure has a completely different meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/incremental-theory-people-are-different-because-they-think-of/) [Oliver Burkeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/) > [It is illuminating to note, here, how the daily rituals and working routines of prolific authors and artists - people who really do get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/it-is-illuminating-to-note-here-how-the-daily-rituals-and-working/) [Oliver Burkeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/) > [“Pilots were not excused all these rigorous new checks, and when Woodie Menear’s turn came, the security screener expressed concern about the presence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/pilots-were-not-excused-all-these-rigorous-new-checks-and-when-woodie/) [Oliver Burkeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/) > [“...no matter how much success you may experience in life, your eventual story - no offence intended - will be one of failure. Your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/no-matter-how-much-success-you-may-experience-in-life-your-eventual/) [Oliver Burkeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/) > [The routines of almost all famous writers, from Charles Darwin to John Grisham, similarly emphasise specific starting times, or number of hours worked, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/the-routines-of-almost-all-famous-writers-from-charles-darwin-to-john/) [Oliver Burkeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/) [Explore all 47 Oliver Burkeman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/) ## More Focus quotes > [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/) [Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/) > [Music is a job, but I figured out ways to get my mind into a place where I could be creative. I actually discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flume/music-is-a-job-but-i-figured-out-ways-to-get-my-mind-into-a-place/) [Flume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flume/) > [“If you're focused, you can't get bored.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alin-sav/if-you-re-focused-you-can-t-get-bored/) [Alin Sav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alin-sav/) > [There are more important things to focus on in life than how you look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arden-cho/there-are-more-important-things-to-focus-on-in-life-than-how-you-look/) [Arden Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arden-cho/) > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [“This is Galileo,” said Aristotle. “He advocates understanding the world through observation and experiment. He is an unimaginative thinker, but his results demand our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-cixin/this-is-galileo-said-aristotle-he-advocates-understanding-the-world/) [Liu Cixin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-cixin/) > [Too many times we flitter our energy into too many goals and in the process don't achieve much. Focus is very important in life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaishali-kasture/too-many-times-we-flitter-our-energy-into-too-many-goals-and-in-the/) [Vaishali Kasture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaishali-kasture/) > [If you ask another competitor, they may tell you they felt very competitive towards me. But I can tell you that my biggest competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/if-you-ask-another-competitor-they-may-tell-you-they-felt-very/) [Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [All I'm focused on is playing my game. Everything else will take care of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grigor-dimitrov/all-i-m-focused-on-is-playing-my-game-everything-else-will-take-care/) [Grigor Dimitrov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grigor-dimitrov/) > [Focus on being productive instead of busy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/focus-on-being-productive-instead-of-busy/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) [Browse all 11,734 Focus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A person who has resolved to ‘think positive’ must constantly scan his or her mind for negative thoughts – there’s no other way that the mind could ever gauge its success at the operation – yet that scanning will draw attention to the presence of negative thoughts.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oliver Burkeman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/a-person-who-has-resolved-to-think-positive-must-constantly-scan-his/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Focus" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/a-person-who-has-resolved-to-think-positive-must-constantly-scan-his/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/oliver-burkeman-14344_focus_a-person-who-has-resolved-to-think-posit_2925541.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/oliver-burkeman-14344_focus_a-person-who-has-resolved-to-think-posit_2925541.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/oliver-burkeman-14344_focus_a-person-who-has-resolved-to-think-posit_2925541.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A person who has resolved to ‘think positive’ must constantly scan his or her mind for negative thoughts –…” — Oliver Burkeman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Oliver Burkeman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A person who has resolved to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/a-person-who-has-resolved-to-think-positive-must-constantly-scan-his/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/a-person-who-has-resolved-to-think-positive-must-constantly-scan-his/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```