BLUF
The author of this article argues that ‘defensive pessimism’ can help people—especially those who suffer anxiety—improve positive thinking and decision-making.Summary
This article by Eyal Winter, and printed in Neuroscience News, makes the following points:
- Positive psychology is a tool used by psychologists to focus on enhancing the happiness of mentally healthy people.
- However, rather than relieving the mental pain and trauma— positive thinking might have a negative side.
- Ultimately, positive psychology suggests we avoid focusing too much on regrets about the past or worrying about the future.
- But humans are hardwired by evolution to live in the past and the future.
- Human survival relies on learning and planning.
- You can’t learn without living in the past, and you can’t plan without thinking about the future.
References
Recent Runway Posts related to this topic:
- How Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Impact Adult Anger | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)
- Why being resilient won’t necessarily make you happy – new research | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)
References from the Web:
- JUN 2021 Can a Bad Mood Be Good for You?—Medium
- DEC 2021 Why 'mood shame' is bad for you—BBC
- FEB 2022 How Negative Emotions Affect Us—Very Well Mind
Source Information:
- Article Source: Neuroscience News
- Media Check: Neuroscience News - Media Bias Fact Check (mediabiasfactcheck.com)
- RAAF RUNWAY: RATIONALE, GUIDELINES, LEARNING OUTCOMES, ETC |
