studies show that there are four root causes of these emotions. Once you identify them, you can begin to banish them: Justification. You can be negative only as long as you convince yourself that you are entitled to be angry. Unhappy individuals will always be found explaining and elaborating on the profound unfairness of their situation. Rationalization. Rationalization is self-deception, an attempt to create a plausible explanation for a socially unacceptable act. (As in, "If I turn this in six weeks late, no one will care anyway.") Blaming. There is no quality more closely associated with unhappiness than the habit of blaming others for our difficulties. Poor Self-Esteem. Low self-esteem is generally characterized by a hypersensitivity to the opinions of others. No one wants to lose the respect of others, but conscientious people don't need to fret about what other people think.