Humanitarian Socionics

Positivists and Negativists in socionics

In a general sense, this polarity is associated, first, with the juxtaposition or opposition of two sides of the same object or phenomenon. Secondly, for positivists, getting a positive effect from some action has a higher priority than avoiding negative consequences from it. Negativists are guided by the opposite principle: they are determined to minimize the negative consequences of an event that has occurred or is about to happen.

1. At the intellectual level. Positivists and Negativists in socionics At the intellectual level, positivism manifests itself as thinking in terms of similarities, and negativism — thinking in terms of differences and, most of all, opposites. Positivists are characterized by convergent thinking — comparing all the proposals and giving the only one - the best solution. Divergent thinking, characteristic of negativists, exacerbates contradictions and gives several alternative solutions to the same problem.

2. Social level. Positivists and Negativists in socionics

Positivism-negativism manifests itself as the degree of trust in others at the initial stages of relations. Positivists are much more likely to trust strangers than negativists. Negativists are distrustful and wary.

Over time, however, the situation may change: positivists, convinced of their mistake, fall into unjustified suspicion. Collectives dominated by negativists are, all other things being equal, much more polarized than collectives dominated by positivists.

3. Psychological level. Positivists and Negativists in socionics

This polarity is associated with the integrity (integration) of the psyche. Positivists have a more solid and simple psyche; they know what they want. The nature of the negativistic psyche is contradictory, with opposing aspirations and desires colliding. For this reason, negativists are more susceptible than positivists to the disintegration of the psyche and the formation of subpersonalities, compared to positivists. However, negativists can withstand internal conflict for longer.

The subjective perception of the measure of happiness and well-being among positivists and negativists is also different. It is easier for a positivist to close his eyes to the" dark " side of life and pay attention to its "bright" moments. Negativists need to try hard to push unpleasant thoughts out of consciousness. On the other hand, if the positivist is already in a negative (for example, depressive) state, then it is much more difficult for them to find a way out than it is for the negativist.

4. Physical level. Positivists and Negativists in socionics

Positivists and negativists solve the problem of physical energy balance in different ways. If positivists feel the need for physical charging, then for negativists it is more relevant to discharge the accumulated energy, or to transform it into an action. For productive activity of a substantive nature, positivists need to be "turned on" or even angered. Negativists, on the contrary, should be allowed to shed some of the negativity.