Author Barbara Ehrenreich on her new book "Bright-Sided" Democracy Now 10/13/09 1 of 2

Author Barbara Ehrenreich on "Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America"

In her new book, author Barbara Ehrenreich documents what she says is the destructive power of the positive thinking movement in the United States, from breast cancer to the workplace, to the economy, to politics as a whole. Ehrenreich opens the book by writing about her own experience with breast cancer culture after being diagnosed with the disease in 2000. She says in the prevailing positive thinking culture of America, breast cancer patients are urged to avoid feeling angry and instead find meaning and even uplift in the disease. She writes, In the most extreme characterization, breast cancer is not a problem at all, not even an annoyance—it is a gift, deserving of the most heartfelt gratitude. [includes rush transcript]

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News & Politics

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• Democracy Now
• 10/13/09

[melkmail]

joewu1981, being an optimist is a choice. What's a national scourge are optimists foisting false cheer on people in a breezy drive-by way without acknowledging their real suffering. I have the choice to feel how I feel, so don't presume on my behalf. These types pat themselves on the back for doing "positive", when it's often worse than nothing at all. Don't breeze past strangers who look strained or sad with "smile!" It's wildly inappropriate at a funeral, somehow ok elsewhere?

[OccamsView]

I believe it is healthier to honestly confront the most difficult of issues, as hard as it may be, and experience the spectrum of emotions that will inevitably ensue. Hiding behind the security blanket of positive thinking won't make these problems magically disappear, rather, it may exacerbate their severity. I speak as a car accident survivor who was originally told I would be unlikely to walk again. I can walk now and even run a little, because of shear luck and hard, painful work.

[benevolentwarrior]

@OccamsView its not hiding, if one explores doing their emotional experience more usefully. I have no idea how you connect choosing more useful thinking habits, as possibly exaserbating severity......You were told what someone else believed, and clearly you chose to think more positively about your potential, and proved it

[benevolentwarrior]

@SousSherpa all depends on the therapist. Where does this judgement of the therapist come from that they're about telling their client they are 'wrong.' ?

[WhiteLexis]

It has been proven that positive thinking techniques can improve physical health. This is because of the biological link between emotion and disease. Documentaries like "The New Medicine" explain techniques like this in detail. I found it funny that Barbara said this idea became popular in the 1980's and 1990's when this is an ancient way of thinking that can be see in the use of things like meditation (ie.tummo yoga) To each her own but positive thinking has positive impacts on health #Fact.

[dutytocareforothers]

@whicheverwayable I think she (Barbara) is talking much more about the counselors who misuse techniques and trick their clients for some ulterior agenda. Barbara wasn't clear in her writing at all but I think she was rebuking the professionals who use "positive psychology" as a distraction and to indoctrinate rather than help people.

[whicheverwayable]

@dutytocareforothers No it isn't. I'm with Barbara on people using (not conducting) the research for own agendas, I personally cannot stand the charlatans etc, but her chapter on positive psychology was awful, i was hoping for so much better. In fact for me it called into question her credentials (as a scientist) it was that sloppy. Positive psychology is just academic research, it is scientific and rigorous, how this research is used (and misrepresented) is completely another thing.

[dutytocareforothers]

@whicheverwayable But that's just lip service or double-speak. A lot of people especially those in power want to hide the truth and continue on with corruption.

[whicheverwayable]

@dutytocareforothers Do you understand psychology? The aim of science is to search for the truth but not the search for certainty, it is completely open to questioning in fact it welcomes it. Positive psychology isn't a movement as such but an umbrella term and spans all the major branches/schools of psychology. Social psychology studies discrimination, racism and homophobia and contributes a lot to positive psychology, it is about research and not positive thinking and naive optimism.

[thethirdq]

Where do you come up with this stuff...so good!!!

[LUVJONZ99]

@dutytocareforothers After experiencing therapy for the 1st time, I totally agree with you. I was tired of being told, "just reinvent yourself".

[joelsvideospage]

I think it's great to be positive but over optimism, I think, caused the global economic crisis. Protestant work ethic is all about being positive and not asking questions. Asking questions means you are a threat to the ideology (that was shaky to begin with). It's like living in a communist country. Not being positive there is called being a dissident.