Positive Attitude Information

Time To Give Up Resentment


Resentment isn't a spectacular emotion, but it is long-lasting and it easily becomes a way of life. When this happens, it blocks all possibility of successful and healthy relationships.

When people feel resentment, they draw back into defensiveness to avoid the possibility of still more hurt. Good performance, good relationships and good become impossible. It's also an entirely negative emotion. Nothing productive ever comes from it, while it easily progreses into more violent states like anger, hatred and cruelty.

The Rule of Resentment

People hurt by others often inflict identical hurt of their own in a vicious circle. The abused child becomes a child abuser. The despised failure seeks weaker people to despise. The bullied employee becomes a bullying manager. Resentment seems to cause us to repeat the behaviors we resented. We become still more sensitive to further sources of resentment. We find still harsher ways to hit back.

Resentment is endemic in many organizations, revealing itself in petty cruelties, pointless obstructions and childish acts of sabotage. When you enquire into the causes of the resentment, you mostly find multiple acts of unkindness and cruelty. Managers, browbeaten by their superiors in the all-out demand for ever higher profits, take to crushing their own subordinates with similarly impossible demands. Afraid of losing their jobs, people plot to put others in the firing line.

The "Golden Rule" exhorts us to treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves. The Rule of Resentment seems to be a direct perversion of it, causing us to treat others as badly we were treated -- or even worse.

The Rule of Reciprocal Behavior

Yet this rule of reciprocal behavior -- of doing to others what was done to us -- also holds good for positives. People treated kindly are more likely to be kind to others. People who are helped and encouraged become helpers in their turn. If bigotry and scorn breed ever greater negativity, tolerance, openness and honesty produce their own harvest of growth and mutual support. In place of the vicious cycle of carping and frustration, it's possible to set up a cycle of ever more positive behaviors.

When people consider ethical working behavior and ask "What's in it for me?" the Rule of Reciprocal Behavior gives a major part of the answer. Unethical behavior is a potent source of resentment and so will nearly always provoke an unethical response.

If you want to be treated ethically by others, you must start by being ethical yourself.

Adrian W. Savage writes for people who want help with the daily dilemmas they face at work. He has contributed more than 25 articles to leading British and American publications and has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and The Chicago Tribune.

You can find his blog on ethics, diversity and living life to the full at http://www.adriansavage.com


MORE RESOURCES:

A positive attitude to risk is vital
WalesOnline, United Kingdom - Jul 22, 2008
Having a positive attitude to creativity, risk and failure is vital, and firms that are always willing to learn are also the ones most likely to succeed. ...


Bonner slugger Callen brings enthusiasm and positive attitude to ...
News of Delaware County, PA - 9 hours ago
By Joe O'Loughlin; Correspondent Bob Callan is the kind of player every team needs. Not only does he bring a most precious asset to the mix, speed, ...


A more positive attitude to funding is required, says Michael ...
Scotsman, United Kingdom - Jul 16, 2008
DEATH is always a sad experience for those left behind, but the idea of celebrating the dead helps us to realise that life is precious. renaked ladies (the ...


Medic remembered for his smile, positive attitude
CBC.ca, Canada - Jul 8, 2008
A Canadian military medic killed by an explosion early Sunday near the city of Kandahar is being remembered as a committed, friendly man who almost always ...


West Boynton: Library program addresses 'Power of a Positive Attitude'
Sun-Sentinel.com, FL - Jul 17, 2008
JC Stern, community relations representative for Hospice of Palm Beach County, will give a lecture on "The Power of a Positive Attitude" at 2 pm July 29. ...


McLellan Fills In Staff San Jose Sharks Staff
NHL.com - 8 hours ago
Todd also has a very good background as a player and his positive attitude will have a big impact on this team.” The 2007-08 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins ...
Sharks job Richards’ next step to goal Wilkes Barre Times-Leader
Pens' AHL coach Richards leaves Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
all 33 news articles


We could all learn a lot from Tim Penny's positive attitude
Post-Bulletin, MN - Jul 14, 2008
I greatly enjoyed the July 7 article in the Post-Bulletin by Tim Penny, President of the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, regarding the Town ...


Talk about a bad hair day…...
Reading Advocate, MA - 11 hours ago
In this economy, when it comes to customer attentiveness and positive attitude, more is more. A few months ago, I wrote a column about my adulterous love ...


Atascadero couple receives wildlife habitat certification for home ...
Atascadero News, Atascadero - 12 hours ago
I would have been gone long ago if it hadn’t been for the healthy food and the positive attitude of my wife. Having a positive attitude is so important. ...


Carlisle show a positive attitude
Journal Live, UK - Jul 9, 2008
CARLISLE United have begun the fightback after a pre-season of largely negative headlines by announcing they are actively searching for a new striker – and ...

Positive-Attitude - Google News

home | site map
© 2006