Euphoric, I agree. We should strive for being a witness to the processes of our own minds, so we notice when we are about to cause our own suffering, or the suffering of someone else.

Looking deeply into your own "negativity" is a good way to make it lose its power, since by recognizing it for what it is, that stuff loses its mystery, which is half the reason it's so powerful. If you watch your mind and begin to understand clearly WHY you feel this way and act this way, you are in a position to make positive changes because you understand yourself.

It's true that if you've never taken the time to study your motives before, when you first try it all you will see is a lot of negativity--you'll probably get scared and retreat back into your daily routine of egoistic concerns without thinking about how you're harming anybody, especially yourself. It applies to all of us that when we take a clear look at ourselves we discover how self-centered we've been all along... but taking that look is a necessary first step to bringing happiness later on. Don't forget that, although your mind doesn't want to let go, or give up on its habits, it's actually BETTER for you to let go and let those habits lose their power.