--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have been taught to believe that…" description: "\"We have been taught to believe that negative equals realistic and positive equals unrealistic.\" — Susan Jeffers" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/susan-jeffers-6863_believe_we-have-been-taught-to-believe-that-nega_1778768.jpg" --- # We have been taught to believe that negative equals… ![“We have been taught to believe that negative equals realistic and positive equals unrealistic.” quote by Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/susan-jeffers-6863_believe_we-have-been-taught-to-believe-that-nega_1778768.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/susan-jeffers-6863_believe_we-have-been-taught-to-believe-that-nega_1778768.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/susan-jeffers-6863_believe_we-have-been-taught-to-believe-that-nega_1778768.jpg) > “We have been taught to believe that negative equals realistic and positive equals unrealistic.” [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society often teaches that negativity is realistic and positivity unrealistic, creating a bias that undervalues hopeful thinking. **In simple terms:** We’re taught to see negativity as realistic. Key Takeaway Challenge the bias toward pessimism. Themes mindset optimism realism Mood encouraging balanced Type motivational practical When to use this quote - goal setting - coaching - therapy - team meetings Key Concepts cognitive bias positive psychology Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports a balanced view? - How can you integrate realistic optimism? A Different Perspective Excessive optimism can ignore legitimate risks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [If you ask me, being negative is entirely more realistic than being positive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-ask-me-being-negative-is-entirely-more-realistic-than-being/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being realistic is the most commonly travelled road to mediocrity. What's the point of being realistic? It's unrealistic to walk into a room, flip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/being-realistic-is-the-most-commonly-travelled-road-to-mediocrity/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [I had to be very unrealistic about my situation. If I was so realistic I would never have made it this far. So, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/i-had-to-be-very-unrealistic-about-my-situation-if-i-was-so-realistic/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) > [I always believe that where there's a negative there's a positive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-hilton/i-always-believe-that-where-there-s-a-negative-there-s-a-positive/) [Kathy Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-hilton/) > [“Don’t believe negative voices. Listen to the divine-instinct of awaken soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/don-t-believe-negative-voices-listen-to-the-divine-instinct-of-awaken/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [So many of us know what we are against, but not what we are for-what we disbelieve, not what we believe. A negative life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fort-newton/so-many-of-us-know-what-we-are-against-but-not-what-we-are-for-what/) [Joseph Fort Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fort-newton/) > [So many people were ready to write me off as being washed up at 20, I started to believe all that negative stuff myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riddick-bowe/so-many-people-were-ready-to-write-me-off-as-being-washed-up-at-20-i/) [Riddick Bowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riddick-bowe/) > [Because people are ever willing to believe the negative over the positive. It’s easier for you to think me corrupt and evil than it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/because-people-are-ever-willing-to-believe-the-negative-over-the/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [I believe that a negative statement is poison.I'm convinced that the negative has power. It lives. And if you allow it to perch in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-believe-that-a-negative-statement-is-poison-i-m-convinced-that-the/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Maybe I'm being philosophical and spiritual, but I believe that if you put negative energy out there that that is what will come back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/persis-khambatta/maybe-i-m-being-philosophical-and-spiritual-but-i-believe-that-if-you/) [Persis Khambatta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/persis-khambatta/) > [“Don’t believe the negative criticisms. You are capable beyond measure”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/don-t-believe-the-negative-criticisms-you-are-capable-beyond-measure/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [I also believe that when something negative comes out about you in the media, that's only one person's opinion. These guys sometimes believe they've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-knight/i-also-believe-that-when-something-negative-comes-out-about-you-in/) [Bobby Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-knight/) > [Don't believe everything negative you hear about yourself, let your mirror be your final judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-goga/don-t-believe-everything-negative-you-hear-about-yourself-let-your/) [Joe Goga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-goga/) > [There is an automatic assumption that negative is realistic and positive is unrealistic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/there-is-an-automatic-assumption-that-negative-is-realistic-and/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [It's unrealistic to think you can only have one good product. People are not that poor. They can buy what they want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-gurley-brown/it-s-unrealistic-to-think-you-can-only-have-one-good-product-people/) [Helen Gurley Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-gurley-brown/) ## More by Susan Jeffers > [Dear God, I trust that no matter what happens in my life, it is for my highest good. And no matter what happens in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/dear-god-i-trust-that-no-matter-what-happens-in-my-life-it-is-for-my/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [All the dangers in our world are like a blessed wake up call. They tell us to live life NOW... not tomorrow, not when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/all-the-dangers-in-our-world-are-like-a-blessed-wake-up-call-they/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [When we give from a place of love, rather than from a place of expectation, more usually comes back to us than we could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/when-we-give-from-a-place-of-love-rather-than-from-a-place-of/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [As your awareness of the riches available to you in your everyday life grows, you are on the way to becoming the laughing Buddha.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/as-your-awareness-of-the-riches-available-to-you-in-your-everyday/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [A ship in harbour is safe, but it's not fulfilling its potential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/a-ship-in-harbour-is-safe-but-it-s-not-fulfilling-its-potential/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [We don't have to wait until we are old to gather the riches... We can gather them every day of our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/we-don-t-have-to-wait-until-we-are-old-to-gather-the-riches-we-can/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [“I will handle it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/i-will-handle-it/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [We all create expectations of what we would like to happen after a decision is made. The picture in our mind's eye might have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/we-all-create-expectations-of-what-we-would-like-to-happen-after-a/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [Every time you encounter something that forces you to “handle it,” your self-esteem is raised considerably. 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It makes sense to go to the source.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/the-source-of-our-love-comes-from-within-no-one-out-there-is-that/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [Commitment doesn't mean that it has to last forever, but while you are there, commit yourself 100%. By doing this, the quality of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/commitment-doesn-t-mean-that-it-has-to-last-forever-but-while-you-are/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [Security isn't having things, it's handling things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/security-isn-t-having-things-it-s-handling-things/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) [Explore all 97 Susan Jeffers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We have been taught to believe that negative equals realistic and positive equals unrealistic.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Susan Jeffers" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/we-have-been-taught-to-believe-that-negative-equals-realistic-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/we-have-been-taught-to-believe-that-negative-equals-realistic-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/susan-jeffers-6863_believe_we-have-been-taught-to-believe-that-nega_1778768.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/susan-jeffers-6863_believe_we-have-been-taught-to-believe-that-nega_1778768.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/susan-jeffers-6863_believe_we-have-been-taught-to-believe-that-nega_1778768.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We have been taught to believe that negative equals realistic and positive equals unrealistic.” — Susan Jeffers", "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": "Susan Jeffers", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We have been taught to believe...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/we-have-been-taught-to-believe-that-negative-equals-realistic-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/we-have-been-taught-to-believe-that-negative-equals-realistic-and/#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 } } ] } ```