▲Thinking Don't Make It So▼

Talent Development Resources' discussing of the ineffectiveness of affirmations:

We asked participants to either repeat to themselves the statement, “I’m a lovable person,” (positive self-statement condition) for four minutes, or to write down their thoughts and feelings (control condition) for four minutes.

Our results indicated that people who were low in self-esteem felt worse about themselves after repeating the positive self-statement. Their moods and their “state self-esteem”–their feelings about themselves at that moment–were more negative than those of lows in the control condition.

In contrast, people with high self-esteem did feel better after repeating the positive self-statement, but to only a limited degree.

Only assurance which we trust is meaningful. Good therapists struggle with clients who negate support by saying, "You're only saying that because I pay you."

Often psychological ploys, such as blithe affirmations, exaggerate biases rather than redirect them. If we are biased negatively, it takes work to change our orientation.