The Importance of Negative Visualization

The great stoic philosophers have left behind heaps of wisdom for us to explore, but one of the most powerful techniques they have gifted us is the practice of negative visualization.

Negative visualization is a technique that dates back many thousands of years, used by philosophers like Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca. The core of the idea is to visualize negative outcomes in your life.

You contemplate what you have and visualize your life without them. Imagine life without your significant other or without your job or without your health, so on and so forth.

It’s like asking yourself the question what if in all facets of your life: your creative pursuits, your startup, your life decisions. What this isn’t is an exercise in torturing yourself just for fun. There is actually tremendous value in using this technique. Here are three reasons why you should start using negative visualization.

1. Appreciate what you have

First and foremost, this technique makes you quickly appreciate what you have in life. Your health, your family, your opportunities, and more.

Realizing that you are blessed and have a lot to be thankful for, can easily put things in perspective.

2. Understand the possible outcomes

Second is the ability to set expectations upfront and be far more honest with yourself. What could go wrong? How would you handle such scenarios? Can you overcome or plan for them?

This practice is called a pre-mortem in the business world, but the idea is the same. When you prepare for the worst, you are in a better place to deal with disaster if and when it does arise.

3. Realize it’s not so bad

Finally, this practice can help you realize the things that you are afraid of are not as bad as you made them out to be. What if you lost your job? What if you had to move to a much smaller apartment? What if your work turns out to be a failure?

We build up our fears to the point that they are larger than life. Confronting them and even temporarily experiencing them, can help you overcome such barriers.