The temptation to blame others is an example of such a motivation. Supposing we do something that causes a problem and a man give us constructive criticism so that we won't do it again. We can react with acknowledging that the criticism is correct and thanking the person who gave us the constructive criticism. Many people however, are more likely to become hostile to the man giving the criticism. Many people are likely to react to his criticism by blaming him for the problem.
Many people are likely to react with paranoia toward the man giving the criticism.
It's easier on one's self esteem if one regards the man's criticism resulting from his hostility than regarding the criticism as true. We may believe that it is best to be pessimistic so we will be on our guard against threats that we face or take action against them. The first step is to identify the motivation and to evaluate the beliefs leading us to be motivated in such a way. For example, we may believe that it is best to be pessimistic so we will be on our guard against threats that we face. We can correct that belief to we will be just as effective in facing the threats that we face if we plan a course of action to deal with them and try to be optimistic.