Cut out negative people

Let’s first be clear about the why.

No, I don’t hate them. They’re free to do whatever serves them. I believe everyone is a product of the environment they’re part of. Most of the time, they don’t choose to be who they are—it’s just another random occurrence in nature.

If you’re positive, you’re equally a result of random occurrences in your life. Happy parenting, quality schooling, access to good peers and resources later on—all of it. Your positivity is largely luck, with a part being your choices. If you’ve read my stuff, you’ll see me emphasize this point a lot. Because we tend to forget it. We don’t need to be unnecessarily proud of who we are.

Okay, now back to the main question: Why cut out negative people?

The simple reason is I love myself.

Loving myself means I want to consciously create environments that promote choices aligned with my values.

Here’s how I look at it:

Opportunity cost: Every time you cut out one negative or unreasonably pessimistic person from your life, you create space for a positive or reasonably optimistic one. Time and energy are limited. Why not focus on what truly matters?

Live and let live: This is my simple mantra. I have no business judging you. We can coexist in our separate worlds that don’t have to overlap. You can thrive in your world of chaos and pessimism if that serves you. I’ll thrive in mine, built on peace and optimism.

You are who you surround yourself with: While you don’t hold anything personal against someone, you don’t want to risk becoming negative yourself.