There is going to be sadness, heartbreak, failure, and all kinds of uncomfortable emotions. ![]() And the thing is, life is not always happy. It’s about ignoring reality, and pretending that everything is just fine. ![]() While there is nothing wrong with trying to see the positive side of things, toxic positivity is about suppressing the darker side of life. It dismisses emotions instead of affirming them.” According to Tabitha Kirkland, a psychologist and Associate Teaching Professor at University of Washington, “Toxic positivity is a way of responding to your own or someone else’s suffering that comes across as a lack of empathy. It’s not allowing yourself to feel what you feel, and it discounts what other people are feeling as well. Often we do this and project a positive image, even when we don’t feel positive. What’s So Bad a Being Positive?First of all, what is toxic positivity? It’s the idea that you should only think positive thoughts and not let yourself think negative thoughts or emotions. But as I read a bit more on this, I can see why some stoic principles can be misrepresented in such a way that they encourage toxic positivity. In fact, for me, stoicism is about trying to see and accept reality as it actually is, which makes it easier to manage life. This was a bit perplexing for me, because I don’t see stoicism as something that ignores the challenges in life and pretends they aren’t there. Toxic PositivityOne of the interesting topics I’ve been hearing about over the past few months is the idea of toxic positivity and interestingly enough, I’ve heard stoicism mentioned in the same breath. In this episode, I want to talk about how being too positive can actually be bad for you. A good portion of our life is going to sadness, disappointment, and failure. ![]() Life is never meant to be kittens and rainbows. “To be always fortunate, and to pass through life with a soul that has never known sorrow, is to be ignorant of one half of nature.”
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