Most self-help treatments focus on positive reinforcement. Treatments try to turn “I am a fat” into a positive one like “I am a loveable person.” The process is called cognitive restructuring, which changes self-defeating behavior into constructive ones.

However, a recent study shows that positive thinking can cause the opposite effect. Positive reinforcement can just highlight our unhappiness and discontentment.

According to Time, Joanne Wood and John Lee based their research on a premise: “when people hear something they don’t believe, they are not only often skeptical but adhere even more strongly to their original position.”

Time further explains: “…but you need look no further than any late-night bar debate you’ve had with friends: when someone asserts that Sarah Palin is brilliant, or that the Yankees are the best team in baseball, or that Michael Jackson was not a freak, others not only argue the opposing position, but do so with more conviction than they actually hold. We are an argumentative species.”

What can be learned from Joanne Wood and John Lee’s research paper? Maybe instead of rejecting or denying negative feelings, we should instead try to accept them. From this awareness, we may learn how to deal.