A Critique of Positive Psychology

[SQAAD]

I came across an interesting article. Some of the critiques on positive psychology are:

Quote

The reason positive thinking isn’t genuinely helpful is because ‘peace of mind’ or ‘a sense of inner well-being’ cannot come about as a result of what we think. We can’t think ourselves into feeling happy – we can’t think ourselves into feeling anything that is actually real!

Thoughts are useful for lots and lots of other reasons, obviously, but the one job they are not good for is making us feel better about things (or making us feel better about ourselves) where we would not otherwise do so. This is – we could say – is a ‘misuse’ of thinking. It’s cheating! It’s the wrong road to go down. It’s the wrong road to go down because it unfailingly leads to a place of unbearable neurotic suffering.

As soon as we start thinking that we have to ‘do a certain thing’ in order to feel ‘okay’ (or feel at all ‘right’ in ourselves) then we are making ourselves dependent.

 Thinking is of course a ‘two-edged sword’ and so the problem is that just as we can make things seem better than they are with our thinking we can also make them seem worse by thinking about them the other way. Spin can be positive or negative. Thinking can lead to euphoria, but it can equally well lead to despair.

Whole article here --> http://www.thenegativepsychologist.com/the-downside-of-rational-psychology/

Edited May 15, 2019 by SQAAD

[How to be wise]

@SQAAD The problem with positive psychology is that it does not focus on undoing stressful beliefs. It just glosses them over with affirmations. That may be well and good, but the power of those stressful beliefs are so powerful that they effortlessly overwhelm all of the positive affirmations that you try to cover it with. Undoing those beliefs requires spirituality, because the thinking mind cannot cure itself. You need to go in deep enough to ask the heart-mind, which can undo those beliefs and cure your depression/anxiety.

[SQAAD]

@How to be wise Can you suggest me any techniques for undoing belifes?

Thanks.

Edited May 16, 2019 by SQAAD

[How to be wise]

@SQAAD The Work of Byron Katie: The Four Questions

[RendHeaven]

23 hours ago, Drake140 said:

People who delude themselves with positive things or words just to feel better, just deserve the price after for doing so because they are willingly ignoring the hard facts of reality, building anything on wishful thinking and ignorance will end bad, and the mind adds even more to the pain, first you have some strong signals from your mind that that is the wrong way, and after that it slowly stops and at some point you really believe your delusion. Last signals will be physical but it will be too late at that point.

"hard facts of reality?"