You’re right on about these negative habits, Tom — being critical of others, dwelling on the bad hand you’ve been dealt, responding to what others initiate instead of doing your own thing, giving too much of your time to passive relaxation, engaging in meaningless small talk, doubting yourself, blaming others, and being only a consumer of ideas and knowledge rather than a creator.
Beyond being time wasters, these habits also ring you down and sap you of your creative energy — not to speak of making other people shun you rather than seek your company. Why anyone would want to engage in them is a mystery to me, and I find myself quickly irritated in the presence of anyone who exhibits these behaviors.
Life is too short, and too interesting, to waste on this kind of negativity!
The interesting follow-up questions would be “What makes people have these habits?” and “What can people do about overcoming them?”
