Fear is the Mind Killer.

A few thoughts by the artist Wassily Kandinsky about the people at the top of science, art, philosophy (and the majority of their followers):

"But despite their patent and well-ordered security, despite their
infallible principles, there lurks in these higher segments a hidden
fear, a nervous trembling, a sense of insecurity. And this is due to
their upbringing. They know that the sages, statesmen and artists
whom today they revere, were yesterday spurned as swindlers
and charlatans. And the higher the segment in the triangle, the
better defined is this fear, this modern sense of insecurity. Here
and there are people with eyes which can see, minds which can
correlate. They say to themselves: 'If the science of the day before
yesterday is rejected by the people of yesterday, and that of
yesterday by us of today, is it not possible that what we call
science now will be rejected by the men of tomorrow?' And the
bravest of them answer, 'It is possible.' "

Closed mindedness is the attempt to ignore the fear that our ideas could be wrong; a coping mechanism. It prevents us from seeking more. Not facing our fear is what truly kills our minds.

The One Choice To Change the World.

Negativity breeds more negativity; positivity breeds more positivity. This is an undeniable truth about the human experience.

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An example of negativity in action:

A man's boss yelled at him to stop socializing with his coworkers and work harder. He gets home and scolds his wife for why his dinner has not yet been made. His wife, out of frustration, yells back. The two eventually stop arguing. However, the man's wife still feels emotionally hurt, so she takes it out on their child. She yells at him to stop making so much noise while playing with his toys. This continues for years. The child grows up to be an emotionally distraught adult. His emotional distress affects his work. His boss yells at him to get his act together and work harder. The cycle continues indefinitely. Nothing is furthered besides the negativity.

An example of positivity in action:

A man's boss has complimented him on trying to establish a positive social atmosphere with his coworkers, but politely, calmly, and commandingly tells him that his work is suffering, so he needs to find a better balance between the two. He realizes this, and makes the appropriate changes. He gets home and sees that dinner has not been made yet. He is very hungry, but controls his immediate impulse to say something negative about it. He asks his wife if she can help him make dinner. The two make dinner together, peacefully and happily. The next day, his wife decides to take the initiative to get a head start on the cooking before her husband gets home. Their son is being very loud playing with his toys. His parents calmly and commandingly ask him to quiet down a little bit. He does so. This continues for years. The child grows up emotionally and morally balanced. The cycle continues. Everything is furthered, including the positivity.
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As cliche as it may sound, the choice is entirely up to us as to which one we choose to spread. The jump that must be made is realizing the consequences of every single action we take, from the perspective of others, without our own prejudices. We must take full responsibility of everything we say and do, from the smallest internal thoughts, to the biggest decisions we make.

I side with positivity. While I cannot say I am perfect, I learn from my mistakes, and I get better and better at it every time. I would much rather be an agent for positivity, and spread happiness into my life and other peoples' lives, than be an agent for negativity, and spread unhappiness in my life and the lives of others.

The start is hard, but like all other things, it gets easier the more you do it. Practice is all there is.