Monday, March 28, 2022

Toxic Positivity

Greetings all!

I am a huge believer in sending good thoughts into the universe and trying to stay positive so when I came across a post about toxic positivity, I was intrigued as I have never heard this term before.

The author believes that “While having a positive outlook on life is a good thing, ‘toxic positivity’ is a way of shutting down what someone is truly experiencing. Painful or unpleasant emotions are important to acknowledge and process.”


I think the term 'toxic' is a bit strong in this context but it did give me pause and reminded me how challenging and awkward it usually is to talk about difficult emotions and situations. 

Sometimes our positive messages to a person going through difficult times might seem callous and dismissive but is it better to say nothing if you cannot find the right words? What if there are no right words? What if you know it is not going to be ok at the end?

I am also realizing that even though “Everything happens for a reason” and “You’ll get over it” are very appropriate in some situations, they actually express MY thoughts and MY outlook. 

But this is not about me - this is about the other person who is going through something tough. I am here to show support and love and understanding. And I think “I am here for you” sends the right message. 

What did you think? Drop me a line!

Source (P.S. There is really good discussion thread there, and I very much enjoyed learning different perspectives):

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