Bright-sided
how the relentless promotion of positive thinking has undermined America
by Barbara Ehrenreich · first published 2009
92% recommend8% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Critical history of the positive thinking industry, tracing its roots and arguing how pervasive and damaging it is in America; recommended for readers wanting a skeptical, in-depth look at self-help culture.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
In this utterly original take on the American frame of mind, Barbara Ehrenreich traces the strange career of our sunny outlook from its origins as a marginal nineteenth-century healing technique to its enshrinement as a dominant, almost mandatory, cultural attitude. Evangelical mega-churches preach the good news that you only have to want something to get it, because God wants to "prosper" you. The medical profession prescribes positive thinking for its presumed health benefits. Academia has made room for new departments of "positive psychology" and the "science of happiness." Nowhere, though,
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I really hope this comment gets found. Barbara Ehrenreich wrote a book in 2009 called "Bright-Sided" that was incredibly devastating critique (if you managed to hear about it) about Positive Psychology. I finished the book a week ago, and I say this as someone who really likes (and still does) Tony…
on “Daniel Kahneman “I placed too much faith in underpowered studies”” ↗…Google search, and, you know, professionalism. Healthcare is one of these topics. [1] As this seems to be a bit of a cultural blind spot for people in the US, I highly recommend http://www.amazon.com/Bright-Sided-Positive-Thinking-Undermi...
on “FeelBetterBot wants you to feel better” ↗For a more in-depth look at this, I heartily recommend Barbara Ehrenreich’s Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America
on “Social media is spreading 'toxic positivity'” ↗You'd love the work of Barbara Ehrenreich, who has erudite, anthropological, book-length rants about this sort of thing (e.g. https://www.amazon.com/Bright-sided-Relentless-Promotion-Pos...)
on “The Disneyfication of a University” ↗…self-help, goal-achieving and motivation literature. The skeptic in me just cannot stand it, everybody who writes it automatically gets "scam" mark from me. I'd rather suggest reading something like "Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America" by Barbara Ehrenreich instead.
on “Tim Ferriss on tolerable mediocrity, and the advice he gives startups” ↗There's a nice book about positive attitude, "Bright Sided" by Barbara Ehrenreich (IIRC). Follows the history of positive thinking from the epoch of calvinism up until today. Will be useful to read for you.
on “The Positive Programmer” ↗After Barbara Ehrenreich got cancer and was thrust directly into the positive thinking movement, she wrote a really great book called "Bright-Sided".
on “The Powerlessness of Positive Thinking” ↗Barbara Ehrenreich wrote a good book about this subject: http://www.amazon.com/Bright-Sided-Positive-Thinking-Undermi...
on “We Need To Talk About Depression” ↗Yep. Haven't read, but you might like:Bright-sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America https://www.amazon.com/dp/0312658850/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_d...
on “The Advantage of Abundant Thinking” ↗Read bright sided by Barbara ehrenreich. Great read on how pervasive and damaging this kind of thinking is in America.
on “Posiopaths: Positive only attitude can be toxic” ↗For a long-form examination of this topic, I can heartily recommend Barbarah Ehrenreich's 2009 book Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America.
on “Toxic positivity does more harm than good” ↗I’d also add Barbara Ehrenreich’s Bright-sided, motivated in part by her irritation with people telling her to be positive after hearing about her cancer diagnosis https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113758...
on “Toxic Positivity” ↗…some time has been positively in every thing. Prosperity churches, only talk to people that are positive (let’s face it real friends are there when things go bad), … etc There is a good book about this- Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America
on “Uncomfortable truth: How close is "positivity culture" to delusion and denial?” ↗There's a great book about this called Bright Sided.
on “The Perils of Positive Thinking ” ↗That's not always what it means - but it's very often how the average person pushes it. As Barbara Ehrenreich points out in her book "Bright-Sided", insisting someone has to "think positively" isn't going to cure their cancer, and the refusal of some people to face the grim reality of certain situations is just absolutely idiotic.
on “The Powerlessness of Positive Thinking” ↗