Question

What is Constructive thinking skills

Answer 1

To fully understand constructive thinking, requires one to first understand one’s emotional responses.

When it comes to our emotions we either react to events and circumstances, or we choose to proactively respond to them. The automatic responses are pre-conditioned responses that we have developed over a lifetime.


In most circumstances something will happen within our external environment, and this will trigger an automatic response. This automatic response is generated by how we perceive circumstances, and not by the circumstances themselves. This essentially means, that you can teach yourself to consciously respond to the events and circumstances in your life in a much more productive way that works for you rather than against you. Within this lies the basic foundation for constructive thinking.

Constructive thinking is basically a way of thinking constructively about your world and environment. So instead of reacting to these events, you choose to interpret and then respond to them in ways that will support your growth and development and minimize friction with the external environment.

Keep in mind that how you interpret events and circumstances effectively determines how you will respond to them emotionally. This means that what you think about effects how you respond. However, it’s important to note that most of your interpretations of the events and circumstances of your life are simply opinions. There is no right or wrong, but rather interpretations that will work to your advantage or to your disadvantage in the short and long-term.