SafeSpeed wrote:
I think this is a red herring. We could drive with more concentration than average or less concentration than average.
A negative attitude is one that is worse than <some reference level>.
I don't believe that attitude is 'special' in this ability to 'go negative' it's more a matter of definition or common usage than a matter of important difference.
Yes, I went round this loop several times before I posted! I resisted the temptation to 'forget about it' because I think that 'attitude' is very important and often overlooked.
In my deliberations, I concluded that attitude can manifest itself in many ways, but I could
always define them as either negative or positive. The positive ones would work for me and the negative ones, against.
I can't agree that it is ever just degrees of attitude.
Nor can I agree that a compilation of various attitudes can exist, and result in one mean level of attitude. Most will suddenly switch between positive and negative feelings.
As an 'advanced motorcyclist', every time I go out on my bike, I need to have a positive attitude. Pride in what I do and the expectation of always learning. This attitude will always fight against the negative responses I might have, for instance, about the poor driving quality of other road users.