I have become extremely aware lately that my parents are negative thinkers. Here is today's example:

My mom called me at work today and said, "so you think I can't cook".

Whaaat?!

"You sent me cook books"

Those are for daddy's birthday.

"That's not what he wanted"

What he wanted only cost $6 so I got him the books to go with it.

"oh"

Jeez. My parents have different Sun and Mercury signs from each other.

Do you think negative thinking is astrological or just a bad habit?

Both,lol.  I notice that from my parents too!!! haha Like everything is about them hahah.

What would the significance of merc retro have on thinking and where is merc in it's detriment??

"What would the significance of merc retro have on thinking and where is merc in it's detriment??"

I don't know miss. That's a good question(s) though.

I never know whether to laugh at them, or just let it float past me.

I laugh after I get off the phone and usually let it float by when I talk with them.

I blame it on Saturn retrograde. It's hard for positive thoughts to get in there.

My parents are so freakin' negative it's unreal.

I think the chart gives a propensity for negative thinking (or positive thinking). But then, if it's not counteracted by free will, it can definitely become a habit. I don't really know what the astrological signifiers of it would be. I have Saturn conjunct Mercury and it seems to lend itself to negative thinking, FWIW.

"I have Saturn conjunct Mercury and it seems to lend itself to negative thinking, FWIW."

*raises hand*  Mee too, but since Merc-Saturn is also conjunct Sun, I think negatively about myself.  What the hell is that about?  *laughs*  I never think that someone could be intending a subtle put-down when they tell me something or give a gift, and heaven forbid there are problems between me and anyone else -- it's always my fault.  *nodnodnod*  I have to actively work to assign a fair share of the blame to others, even when it's obvious to people not in the situation that that's where it lies.  I think this may also have to do with my Libra stellium (semi-square my Sun-Merc-Saturn, whatever that means).

Working on this.  Quite actively, actually. 

SaDiablo, it's really interesting to hear your take, because I can see the different nuances in its presentation now. You have Merc/Saturn/Sun, I have Merc/Saturn/Moon/Pluto.

I wonder if you have this issue: whenever someone complains about "people" (not a specific person, but just some trait that people have), I almost always think I'm one of the people they're complaining about.

I will say that one difference between Merc/Saturn/Sun and Merc/Saturn/Moon/Pluto is that I always assign the "blame" (for lack of a better word) to myself. I do see that it's not always my fault, and that sometimes other people share some of the blame, but I just really have to keep it on myself 100% of the time. I'm not suggesting you should do that, BTW, your flavor is different than mine.

I love your writing style. It's like I can see you in your writing.

Oh, yeah, user!  When people are having general "this kind of thing bugs me" convos, unless I am 100% sure I don't do x, y, z, I'm always searching myself to see if I'm guilty.  There was a thread here not too long ago that I avoided like the plague because of that (I think it was about clingy people?).  I could definitely see aspects of myself in some of what people said and it just seriously depressed me.  *shrugs*  But, another wrinkle, that Sun-Merc-Saturn is trined Neptune, so I have to struggle to keep my view of myself from becoming tainted with what others see in me, whether it's real or not.  Just recently I went to my BFF, whom I've known since we were five, for a reality check of that sort.  Like this:

"Hey, this person and that person said I'm (blah).  Really?  Am I??"  "Uhm.  No, Gen, you're not."  "Ohh... 'kay.  *thinks*  What about (blech) and (narf)?"  "Nope, not those either.  You are (plink), (spam), and (nard), though, and some people are uncomfy with that.  You're fine, really.  It's them."  "Ohhhh!  *thinks*  Hey, thanks!" 

RE: "blame"  That's exactly what I do, I immediately hog it all even if intellectually I know it's not entirely my fault.  Happily, I am getting better at mentally settling down and portioning out only what I can realistically take credit/blame for.  I have to work at reminding myself, though, or I start veering back into It's-All-My-Fault-Land; it's a constant fight, every time one of those thoughts pop into my head.  *nodnodnod*

Well, I think astrology determines how and where it manifests, but that the negative thinking tendency itself is a habit.

I tend to think negatively not so much about myself or other people (not that I never do, but it's far less common), but more about situations, seeing them as needlessly contrived and difficult things that are thrust on innocent people. My mercury is in 11th house Pisces, opposes my moon, and squares the ascendant, uranus, and saturn, FWIW.

I don't know if that's astrological, but it sure is RUDE. I'm sorry - a gift is a gift. You're supposed to be gracious, not impolite and demanding.

Wow. 

Oops, double post. Sorry.

You are right luci, it was rude. I am so accustomed to being treated like that that I didn't even notice.

My parents love me, but they find me and everything I do unacceptable. I realized that I would never measure up when I was 18 years old and since then I just try to be someone that I can be proud of. I am proud of me.

i find saturn and capricorn (and cancer?  or gemini?) tend towards negative thinking.  the issue of security and or the ability to think up the million ways that something could go wrong...

i know my saturn mercury leads me towards some serious negativity sometimes...

Sagittarius - Mercury/Saturn here!  Yeapp  it leads me to negativity too! Especially if its something I am doing for the first time! But it dont last for too long .....! something else will take my attention:)

Some people act like they think negative just to get attention. Because sometimes acting like everything is alright isn't going to distinguish you.

Trust me, I've dealt with those passive-aggressive types. And there are lots! I've learned to laugh it off.

I waver between pessimism and optimism. For the most part, I'm an optimist though I have a Jupiter in Virgo so I have a tendency to be somewhat pessimistic. However, it is opposed by Mercury in Pisces so I have a mutually beneficial relationship - which probably makes me very prone to a lot of optimistic episodes.

I also have Saturn square Neptune - which Elsa has written a lot about. I am very very prone to hologram fears. I was told once that perhaps the ONLY hinderance to my ambition is my tendency to start worrying and overwhelming myself. It's not so much pessimism but it's just fear, really. 

Well I think it is definitely a habit, but most Saggis I have known in my life tended to look on the bright side of things.  I think that is why I always had a best-friend Saggi since I was very young.  Just my own experience, of course.

Toni, I know what you mean. People that think being happy is boring.

I tend towards negative thinking. Takes lots of effort to change this habit! I have a cancer sun and virgo moon. The moon trines saturn. The saturn squares venus-- I can be very glass half empty. Takes work to positive-up.

These days really enjoying my Sag influenced friends.... they try to help me lighten up -- but also take me seriously....

And I think I was one of those folks who started one of the "clingy people" posts.... :)

user, it's not even that! They think being happy is cool, it's just that they use fake depression to get attention.

AFter I married my husband, I received a Miss Manners book on Etiquette from his cousin. I took it as a "dig." We married very quietly and without his very judgmental family in tow. I didn't send announcements to them saying we were married or give them the impression that I really even cared for them to be there or for them to know.  I guess they thought I HAD to get married, WRONG.  I had a sense of their narrow minded position & how i simply was not good enough.

This particular cousin had a very large obsese daughter who developed diabetes in adolscence so at Christmas at the family party I made sure I had a diabetic cookbook was sent her way. The whole family is very overweight. I didn't mean it as a dig but I guess that's the way it come forth.  Thin skinned people always take things personally.  

Fast forward 25 years and we are still married and stable, still are devoted to each other and love each other dearly.  I guess I showed them wrong. They sing a different tune with me now. They are kinder to me only because I guess I proved myself and I proved them wrong.  Long story short, have a thick skin and a strong sense of who you are and people aren't going to fuck with you. But I have to say in the early days my feelings got hurt A LOT. 

If I could say one thing to give people a short cut thru the bull shit is to have good self esteem and LISTEN UP: STOP CARING ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK OF YOU>

In this negative, fault finding, hyper critical society MOST PEOPLE DON"T WANT TO THINK WELL OF YOU. They want to find something wrong about you to tear you down so they can elevate themselves.  The sooner you get over other peoples opinions, the lighter and happier you'll be. And this is from someone who has been greatly wounded by her family of origin and the work place. Life is short, be happy. And don't ever for one minute allow other people to rain on your parade. You are unique and your life circumstances are unique as well.  

Bear in mind this world is NOT POSITIVE. There is little or no positivity in the media. The main energy is attack and destroy. You have probably been conditioned to think negatively by this world you life in. 

You have to fight for everything in this world. EVen the intention and right to think positive when everything around you is swirling in brown mud.

THe lag time for manifestation is almost immediate so it would benefit all of us to think the highest and the best. Thoughts are things, words are wands.