Is positive thinking making us depressed?
We should not ‘sugar-coat’ the negative aspects of life, says author Svend Brinkmann
Source: Is positive thinking making us depressed? – BBC News
Great podcast on making room for ALL of our feelings and the problem with positive psychology, in its many forms.
What I like is the acknowledgement that, as a culture, we seem to believe in happiness and positivity being a constant state and are striving for something that’s most likely unachievable. That somehow, if we were more happy or content or positive then life would be….better???
My problem with this is, I see many people in my practice at Cheadle and Wilmslow, who believe they are failing to keep up with what’s expected of them in today’s society.
Personally, I have to filter out constant flow of “positive” articles that show up on social media inviting me to think or behave in a certain way. There are a growing number of websites about such subjects. Many of them are backed up with oodles of scientific research. But I’m often left thinking “so what?”
So what if I understand XYZ more and I think can gain more control over my life? So what if I adopt this new practice, philosophy, or approach to life? So what…
Human beings are blessed with a huge spectrum of feelings. Use them. You’ll be amazed what you will learn from being yourself and accepting your feelings. So called negative emotions can be life’s learning and are every bit as important as the more socially acceptable emotions.
For me, all emotions are equal.
What are your thoughts?