--- title: The Art of Negative Thinking: How Negativity Can Make You Happier description: Excerpts from my interview with Oliver Burkeman, author of The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking. What The Ancient Stoics Can... canonical: https://time.com/2852596/the-art-of-negative-thinking-how-negativity-can-make-you-happier/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-06-10T14:38:21.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T08:54:13.982Z article:section: Ideas og:title: How Negativity Can Make You Happier og:description: What the ancient Stoics can teach you about happiness og:url: https://time.com/2852596/the-art-of-negative-thinking-how-negativity-can-make-you-happier/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltac9875d3e3d45e58/698696e155a8595cfea814bd/175280847.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 7677 og:image:height: 4318 og:image:alt: 175280847 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How Negativity Can Make You Happier twitter:description: What the ancient Stoics can teach you about happiness twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltac9875d3e3d45e58/698696e155a8595cfea814bd/175280847.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Art of Negative Thinking: How Negativity Can Make You Happier > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs takes readers inside the newsroom, revealing the journalists, ideas and editorial choices behind the stories shaping the global conversation. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=086b1a35-c7de-431c-8b8d-3864dccadbba&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Sam Jacobs, Editor-in-Chief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Globally minded knowledge seekers. Readers who turn to journalism to understand the world, with meaningful concentrations among educators, students, media professionals, civic institutions and knowledge workers. ### TIME Inside TIME: key statements * Inside TIME is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * Inside TIME is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=086b1a35-c7de-431c-8b8d-3864dccadbba&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/subscribe?i=086b1a35-c7de-431c-8b8d-3864dccadbba&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is Inside TIME? Inside TIME is a twice-weekly newsletter written by TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs. It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=086b1a35-c7de-431c-8b8d-3864dccadbba&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1) by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Jun 10, 2014 2:38 PM UTC  Business man holding up smiley face in front of hi Business man holding up smiley face in front of hi Multi-bits—Getty Images by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Jun 10, 2014 2:38 PM UTC Excerpts from my interview with Oliver Burkeman, author of [The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0080K3G4O/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0080K3G4O&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20). ## **What The Ancient Stoics Can Teach You About Happiness** Oliver Burkeman: --- > “” --- Eric: --- > “” --- Oliver Burkeman: --- > “” --- ## **Why Thinking Positive Fails** Oliver Burkeman: --- > “” --- ## **How To Set Goals That Work** Oliver Burkeman: --- > “” --- ## **Related Books Oliver Recommends** --- > “” --- ## Another Immediately Useful Happiness Technique Oliver Burkeman: --- > “” --- **Join 45K+ readers.** Get a free weekly update via email [here](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD). Related posts: [The top FBI hostage negotiator teaches you the 5 secrets to getting what you want](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/01/interview-negotiation-secrets-learn-top-fbi-hostage-negotiator/) [UCLA Film School professor Howard Suber explains how you can be a better storyteller](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/03/interview-ucla-film-school-professor-howard-suber-explains-storyteller/) [Persuasion expert Robert Cialdini explains the best ways to influence people](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/06/robert-cialdini-influence/) _This piece originally appeared on_ [_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/)_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/2852596/the-art-of-negative-thinking-how-negativity-can-make-you-happier/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/2852596/the-art-of-negative-thinking-how-negativity-can-make-you-happier/"},"headline":"The Art of Negative Thinking: How Negativity Can Make You Happier","datePublished":"2014-06-10T14:38:21.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:54:13.982Z","description":"Excerpts from my interview with Oliver Burkeman, author of The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking. What The Ancient Stoics Can...","url":"https://time.com/2852596/the-art-of-negative-thinking-how-negativity-can-make-you-happier/","keywords":["Psychology","Happiness"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltac9875d3e3d45e58/698696e155a8595cfea814bd/175280847.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eric Barker","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eric-barker/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltac9875d3e3d45e58/698696e155a8595cfea814bd/175280847.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"175280847","caption":"175280847","creditText":"Multi-bits—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/psychology/","name":"Psychology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/2852596/the-art-of-negative-thinking-how-negativity-can-make-you-happier/","name":"The Art of Negative Thinking: How Negativity Can Make You Happier"}}]}] ```