Positive Psychology is very popular in American academia today.
Positive psychologists believe we can all be happy or happier by being more positive.
They suggest we substitute more positive judgments for negative ones, spend time on Gratitude Lists and journal good things that happen in our lives.
They believe the more time we spend focusing on positives over negatives, the happier we will be.
They preach the Gospel of Learned Optimism, that we can learn to be more optimistic in our assessments of life and be happier.
The Positive Psychology Happiness Formula is:
Positive Judgments => Produce Happiness
Negative Judgments => Mean Misery
Therefore More Positive Judgments Mean More Happiness
While there is some truth to this statement (it is a variant of the First Law of Happiness – Our Focus Determines Our Feelings) they overlook a number of key points:
The first is optimism can cause us to overlook or ignore important danger signals and warning signs that help us thrive and survive. We are told we just need to be more positive, to see more benefits and fewer threats. This can be dangerous.
The Happiness Habit model is very different. Habitually Happy people assess reality very accurately and take decisive and often very creative action. Once they are confident they have made good decisions, they put the full force of positive expectations behind their plans and drive to excel and do well.
They know the dangers of excessive optimism and react accordingly.
More importantly, Habitually Happy people don’t ignore misery. They know misery has messages and meaning.
Misery Is Meant To Make Us Move
Misery is meant to make us move and take action – it is a signal something needs to change or is changing.
Misery means we need to change what we are doing, how we think, how we feel or all perhaps all three. If our world is changing, we need to change to adapt, adjust and end our misery.
Stuffing, ignoring or replacing negative signals with learned optimism is not a universal route to happiness and spiritual success.
When our heart, gut, soul and being are screaming something is wrong, it’s not wise to try to pretend everything is fine.
Examine those negative feelings, understand what they are saying and react accordingly. Are threats real or merely effects of past conditioning, environment and experience? Can we turn those negatives into positives?
Assess Reality Accurately. Explore and Appreciate What Negative Feelings Are Trying to Say.
Be Decisive, Make Effective Decisions. Put The Full Force of Positive Expectations Behind All Your Plans.
Use a Drive To Excel and Do Well to Propel You to Happiness and Spiritual Success.
Try To Enjoy and Make The Most of Each and Every Moment.
Be Realistic, Not Blind.
See HappinessHabit.com for more information about happiness and spiritual success.
Copyright © 1999- Michele Moore. All Rights Reserved. This material may NOT be published, broadcast, distributed or rewritten without permission from the authors.
Tags: habitually happy, happier, happiness, happiness habit, happy life, happy people, michele moore, positive psychology
[…] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptPositive psychology is the current happiness rage in academia. Positive psychologists believe we can all be happy or happier by being more positive. They suggest we substitute more positive judgements for negative ones, spend time on … […]
[…] Positive Psychology can be dangerous. […]
It is like saying that drinking too much nectar can kill oneself.We all wish to be happy because we are designed to be happy. We cannot live with any other emotion for a long time except happiness.
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I think your article is interesting and that your conclusion that we should “assess reality accurately” is right on. However I think that you’ve misrepresented positive psychology. It’s an oversimplification to state that positive psych is based entirely on the principle that the “more time we spend focusing on positives over negatives, the happier we will be.”
Positive psychology is about finding happiness in focusing on strengths and virtues, but definitely not to the point of ignoring our feelings or “pretending” that nothing is ever wrong.
I’d suggest reading “The Happiness Hypothesis” by Jonathan Haidt or “Authentic Happiness” by Martin Seligman to gain a better understanding of the field. I think you’ll find it’s more inline with your Happiness Habit than you have given it credit for.
I like your Happiness Habit a lot. Excellent approach, in my opinion.
However, I don’t think it was necessary to do such a hatchet job on Positive Psychology. It’s a lot deeper and more complex than you’re making it out to be, don’t you think? For example, one of the most intriguing aspects of positive psychology (and an intersection with your Happiness Habit) is the whole idea of flow.
In my opinion, the biggest problem with trying to put positive psychology into action is that it barely addresses at all moving from negative emotion to positive emotion.
Anyway, it was a very thought provoking post. Thanks for putting it out there!
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