Positive thinking may actually bum you out
Curmudgeons rejoice! At long last, science suggests that the forced sunniness imposed by religious evangelists, sales motivators, and self-help books
Today’s “Science Digest” at WashingtonPost.com notes a study by Joanne Wood and two colleagues at the University of Waterloo in Ontario:
But in one of their studies involving 32 male and 36 female psychology students, the researchers found that repeating the phrase did not improve the mood of those who had low self-esteem, as measured by a standard test. They actually ended up feeling worse, and the gap between those with high and low self-esteem widened.
(Hat tip: Daniel Politi / Today’s Papers.)
It would seem obvious that people cannot simply repeat their way into believing what they do not believe, and that the failed effort must surely produce additional stress. Perhaps having a little research to support their normalcy will free more mopes from their mental gymnastics and allow them to lead more productive — and happier — lives.
"I was going to buy a copy of "The Power of Positive Thinking", and then I thought: What the hell good would that do?" -- Ronnie Shakes
Positive thinking only works when you actually believe what you're repeating to yourself; otherwise, just try and find realistic solutions to your problems. That would help much more than repeating a mantra that reminds you of your incapabilities would.