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104 Examples of Negative Attitudes

John Spacey, updated on January 13, 2024

A negative attitude is an intention to create negative behavior or outcomes. These are situational whereby an individual may be positive towards one thing and negative towards another. Negative attitudes shouldn't be confused with negative emotions that are involuntary states. In some cases, negative attitudes have some logic to them or are a reasonable response to a negative situation. However, habitual or emotionally driven negative attitudes tend to produce problems, failures and general unhappiness. The following are common negative attitudes.

Agitated	Aloof
Apathetic	Arrogant
Assuming	Biased
Bigoted	Bitter
Boastful	Boorish
Calculating	Callous
Careless	Cold
Combative	Complacent
Conceited	Condescending
Cowardly	Cynical
Deceptive	Defeatist
Denial	Destructive
Disagreeable	Discourteous
Discriminatory	Disengaged
Disgruntled	Dishonest
Disrespectful	Distrustful
Disturbed	Dogmatic
Envious	Foolish
Greedy	Hostile
Impatience	Impertinent
Impolite	Impractical
Imprudent	Inattentive
Indifferent	Inflexible
Insincere	Intolerance
Irresponsible	Jealous
Lazy	Lethargic
Listless	Malicious
Neglectful	Obnoxious
Opinionated	Overanxious
Overconfident	Overeager
Passive	Passive Aggressive
Patronizing	Pessimism
Pompous	Presumptuous
Pretentious	Priggish
Reckless	Relentless
Resentful	Rough
Ruthless	Scheming
Self-absorbed	Self-righteous
Selfish	Smug
Spineless	Spiteful
Standoffish	Stubborn
Subversive	Suspicious
Sycophantic	Thoughtless
Timid	Unapproachable
Uncivil	Uncommunicative
Uncouth	Unethical
Unfeeling	Unfriendly
Unprofessional	Unreasonable
Unreliable	Unscrupulous
Unsympathetic	Unwelcoming
Uptight	Vain
Vicious	Withdrawn

Four attitudes can be viewed as primary negative attitudes that inspire all of the negative attitudes above. These are cynicism, resentment, indifference and smugness as follows:

Cynicism

An unrealistically negative view of the world, others and your own agency and strengths.

Resentment

Dwelling in negative things that have happened to you or good things that haven't happened.

Indifference

Indifference to others including indifference to their values and the way they feel. For example, casually dismissing things that people deeply value such as honesty without any reason simply because it's convenient.

Smugness

The belief that you are not flawed but others are deeply flawed. For example, the belief that you are the sole arbitrator of truth such that you are dogmatic and biased.

Discussion

Attitudes are situational and often temporary.

Generally speaking, having a negative attitude is a disadvantage in life or in a particular situation.

Negative attitudes may sometimes serve a purpose or be functional in some way. For example, indifference when you are stuck in a stressful situation that protects you from a caustic environment. In other words, people may adopt bad attitudes as a type of defense mechanism.

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