Have you ever had a friend, acquaintance, co-worker, or family member who viewed things very negatively?

Not only did/does this person (people) view things negatively, they talked about things/people/situations in a negative way, out loud, in front of you and others, on a regular basis, and seemed to have an impossible difficult time putting a positive spin on anything, or seeing anything or anyone in a positive light?

Did that person (people) make you feel un-comfortable, or drained, when you had to listen to them speak about things so negatively all most of the time?

How did you deal with them (or the situation) so that you could manage to not end up feeling drained and/or depressed when they spoke like this?

Do you suspect that this person (or people) suffered from clinical depression? Or do you think that some people are just wired in such a way, that they tend to view things more negatively than other people?

Do you think it’s possible to help these negative nellies, either by your/our own actions? Do you think the only way to help them is if they are willing to get professional help? Or do you think that there’s nothing anyone can do to help these folks feel better, and in turn, not be such a downer?

How do the rest of us help ourselves, short of running away from these people (which is often not possible, or desirable)?