6. In The Positive Power of Negative Thinking, Julie Norem explains what's so good about a style she calls defensive pessimism. If that's your approach, you tend to imagine worst-case scenarios when you have something important in the works (such as a paper or a presentation). How is that a good thing? It's good if it motivates you to think of the many specific things that could go wrong, then take steps to avoid them. People who do that "end up performing better than if they didn't use the strategy." (Want to know if you are a defensive pessimist? Take the test here.)