{"id":52399,"date":"2021-11-02T12:12:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-02T16:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=52399"},"modified":"2021-11-08T13:07:37","modified_gmt":"2021-11-08T17:07:37","slug":"maxwell-maltz-self-image","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/maxwell-maltz-self-image\/","title":{"rendered":"Maxwell Maltz: How Self-Image Predicts Success"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What does your self-image have to do with your goal-achieving potential? Do you think your self-image (the way you see yourself<\/a>) helps or hinders your success potential? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Maxwell Maltz, your self-image plays a key role in your ability to align your behavior with your goals. You need to examine what type of self-image you have so you can figure out if it\u2019s working with you or against you. To this end, Maltz argues, you need to examine how your self-image is expressed through your personality (is it positive or negative?). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we’ll take a look at the personality traits Maltz attributes to positive and negative personality types so you can figure out what type of self-image you have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Positive Self-Image Versus Negative Self-Image<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to Maxwell Maltz, your self-image\u2014and the way it directs your subconscious to act\u2014is expressed through your personality<\/strong>. Further, he claims that your habitual personality traits tend to fall into one of two personality types that define how you approach your life experiences: positive personality<\/a> and negative personality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Personality Type Are You?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here are the personality traits Maltz attributes to positive and negative personality types:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Positive Personality (Good Self-Image)<\/strong><\/td>Negative Personality (Bad Self-Image)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
You\u2019re goal-oriented:<\/strong> You have a clear idea of what makes you happy<\/a> and focus on what you want. You keep moving forward and are driven by a desire to become more and achieve more.<\/td>You\u2019re overly sensitive to setbacks:<\/strong> You let errors and minor failures define your emotional state. You act like a victim of life.<\/td><\/tr>
You\u2019re open:<\/strong> You communicate well with others because you\u2019re willing to think about their perspectives and why they think and feel the way that they do. You\u2019re willing to admit your mistakes and errors.<\/td>You\u2019re accusatory:<\/strong> Your frustration leads to aggression that you misdirect towards yourself or others. You lash out because you\u2019re not resolving your problems.<\/td><\/tr>
You\u2019re willing to take risks:<\/strong> You\u2019re willing to take risks and face new challenges. You confront your problems.<\/td>You\u2019re insecure:<\/strong> You never feel good enough. You compare yourself to others<\/a> or hold an ideal version of yourself that you fail to live up to. You always feel like you should be better than you are.<\/td><\/tr>
You\u2019re empathetic:<\/strong> You treat others with kindness and respect because you recognize that every individual is valuable and important. You understand and appreciate that everyone has unique needs and abilities.<\/td>You\u2019re guarded:<\/strong> You feel alienated from yourself and others. You\u2019ve lost touch with what makes you happy and you\u2019re afraid of exposing your real self<\/a> to others.<\/td><\/tr>
You value yourself: <\/strong>You have a healthy sense of self-worth<\/a> and self-respect. This is reflected in the way you interact with others.<\/td>You\u2019re afraid:<\/strong> You\u2019re fearful of making mistakes and hold yourself back from making decisions or taking responsible steps to move forward.<\/td><\/tr>
You\u2019re confident: <\/strong>You remember and focus on your past successes and happy moments. This positive focus<\/a> allows you to approach life with confidence.<\/td>You\u2019re resentful:<\/strong> You blame others for treating you unfairly. You expect others to make you feel happy and you feel like a victim when they don\u2019t. You perceive injustice and allow this to control your emotional state\u2014self-pity.<\/td><\/tr>
You\u2019re happy with yourself:<\/strong> You accept yourself as you are<\/a> and express yourself authentically. You\u2019re aware of your strengths and weaknesses and you know that you can decide to change if you choose to.<\/td>You\u2019re apathetic:<\/strong> You\u2019re unable to enjoy life no matter how much you achieve. Your achievements don\u2019t feel worthwhile because you can\u2019t see the value in them.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why People Are Prone to Failure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People don\u2019t choose <\/em>to develop negative personality traits\u2014they\u2019ve simply developed the habit of dwelling more on the bad experiences in their lives. Psychologists refer to this tendency as the Negativity Bias<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research shows that you\u2019re hardwired to notice and dwell on negative events. Further, negative events have a greater impact on you than positive ones\u2014your emotional responses are stronger for negative events than they are for positive ones. In other words, negative events feel more important<\/em> to you than positive ones. Subsequently, negative events create a strong and vivid impression in your long-term memory, and they influence the decisions you make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consequently, you\u2019re more likely to notice, react to, and remember:<\/p>\n\n\n\n