By Andrea Schulman, Conscious Life News, December 18, 2015

Have you ever wondered why certain people in your life cling to negativity?  We all know a few individuals who never seem to have anything positive to say.  It’s as if they are addicted to negativity!

The truth of the matter is that negativity is indeed addictive!  It is a habitual behavior that can help people avoid short-term pain while simultaneously providing short-term pleasure, just as any addictive substance would.

Here are a few reasons why people are addicted to negativity:

1. It’s what’s familiar:

Many of us have been raised to be somewhat negative.  As we’ve grown, we’ve spent years and years complaining, being fearful and focusing on the negative. 

For this reason, it can be a challenge to become a more positive person, even when we try to do so! 

Old habits often die hard, so it takes a bit of dedication for many of us to evolve into positive people.  As with all addictions, once a behavior is engrained it takes conscious effort to change it.

2. It helps you “fit in:” 

If you look around, negativity is the status quo for much of society. 

You may haven noticed that it is often easier to strike up a conversation with other people regarding the problems in your life rather than the joys.  For example, telling a friend about your illness is likely to yield you more sympathy and attention than telling the same friend about something good that happened to you today.

In fact, in some circles being especially happy and joyful is actually looked down on. If you have too many good things to say it’s possible certain people will accuse you of being naive or (even worse!) insensitive.

So, when we complain, we often get more social approval and attention than we do with positivity, and this feels good in the short term! For this reason, being negative can be rewarding, just like any drug or addictive substance.

Read: Why Taking About Our Problems Is Our Greatest Addiction

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About the Author: Andrea Schulman is a former high school psychology teacher and mother of two who specializes in Law of Attraction education.  She’s passionate about yoga, technology and spiritual living.