Is negativity self-corrosive or just a bit of fun?

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I go through phases where I surf the net looking for rants and hate lists. There are plenty of them out there. They can get a bit tiring though.

What I really like when I'm in this sort of mood is going to the Internet Movie Database and reading all the scathing reviews of films I hate. They're normally more interesting and articulate than the average internet rant.

I don't know why I like to read these harsh reviews. I suppose sometimes it's easier to define oneself by what one hates. And it's always nice to think that there are other people out there who agree with you on certain things.
Since I am prone to taking things at face value, it sometimes feels good to hate a really bad movie. It shows me that my critical faculties are not totally lacking.

I only really do this with movies. I rarely read novels, and I don't much like reading record reviews.
Oh yeah, and I like to see crappy journalists getting a good Fisking.

But I sometimes wonder if wallowing in all this negativity is bad for me.
Plus, I am not a very creative person at all, so maybe I shouldn't spend so much time criticising the creative output of others.

What does everyone else think?

I'm such a hardcore pessimist I have a shirt dedicated to it. I used to have a pessimism TEE shirt as well but it died honorably.

OK, so maybe I'm actually a poser pessimist and I'm actually an optimist who always looks on the bright side of life. I'm probably not cool enough to be a pessimist. In fact, I'm almost definitely an optimist. I suck. I hate myself. I'm almost DEFINITELY an optimist.

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To seriously answer your question, pessimism has its place and everyone has a certain amount that's healthy. After a point it does become corrosive. but studies have been done that show that people who are naturally defensive pessimists can actually benefit from pessimistic thinking, whereas optimists don't, as much. So, it's all relative.

Negative thinking is very self-nourishing. If you start thinking a little negatively, you'll think a little more negatively. Plus, much more than a small amount of negativity tends to put people off, and that alone can nip friendships you're trying to develop in the bud. It's important to avoid more than an occasional casual complaint and instead voice more positive opinions about things if you want to come off as appealing to other people. Negativism very much turns people, especially people of the opposite sex, off.

I feel ranting is healthy - it lets you get your anger out in a constructive manner rather than destroying things when you're mad or the like.

I either rant to my family or friends, or I play violent video games.

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Negativity is fun to play with, but it generally isnt healthy to have your resting-state life based around it.

it's a good time filler.

I've done that before, and it's entertaining at the least and most.

I'm a superficial optimist whenever possible, because i know that if I allow my pessimism free, I'll become a wreck. Those comments made by NeantHumain re friendships are very true - I was panicking that i annoyed one of my friends, and asked him to tell me honestly whether I did or not. His answer was that no, I didn't annoy him, apart from when I put myself down. Unfortunately he gets my rants and maons all the time, poor guy - I admire his tolerance! But I always end up moaning via MSN to people, though IRL I try not to. Don't always succeed though ...

nothing wrong with a bit of schadenfreude, now and again...

There's a difference between the energetic sort of negativity you get in a rant, and the sort of defeated pessimism (think Eeyore) that's really damaging. Negativity can even unite people with a common annoyance/hatred/whatever--though the obvious problem with that is the danger of groupthink, the tendency towards stereotyping the object of hatred rather than looking at it objectively.

However, if you balance out your negativity with a focus on things you like as well as things you don't like, then there shouldn't be a problem.

Really, there is nothing wrong with being negative so long as it is not self-directed. I am an optimist when it comes to myself and a pessimist when it comes to everybody else in the world. I know that other people will most likely fail for stupid reasons and I know that horrible things will probably happen to the world for similarly stupid reasons but I also know that I am in control of my destiny and I am confident in my ability to lead myself to great things. The only problem with negativity is when it is inwardly directed; you may get as bitter as you want about the world and hate it all you like but always believe in yourself.