Positively Delusional??

Is looking on the bright side of things really bringing our society down? I just read an article on Newsweek.com which seems to say exactly that. The article, 'Positively Downbeat: Sometimes Happiness Isn't Everything' by Julia Baird, suggests that while rhetoric on the power of positive thinking has been on the rise in recent years, the number of Americans who are actually happy has declined. Apparently there have been studies which show that Europeans are getting happier, while Americans aren't.

Within her article, Ms. Baird quotes a new book by Barbara Ehrenreich called "Bright Sided: How Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America". The book states that positive thinking equates to "mass delusion" and says that through positive thinking we are training ourselves to "overlook problems and blame ourselves for failures" and has "blinded us to inequality, incompetence and stupidity".

Instead of attributing all these things to the movement of positive thinking, why not look at the American culture for answers. Let's take a look at our society. Inequality has been a longstanding cornerstone of our democracy so it's no wonder it permeates our lives on so many levels, be it sexism, racism, ageism, classism, or xenophobia, Besides that we place so much emphasis on financial standings and material goods, on aesthetics and luxury items. Our country has been embroiled in difficult economic times over the past few years, and this casts a reflection on people's sense of well-being. We live in a climate where fear is propagated at every turn through the media. It seems that when you turn on the television, you either get a good dose of nonsense, or get shaken up by the latest horrific news story. People are electing to have plastic surgery more than ever (well at least before the recession hit). Obesity for both children and adults has been on the rise. Less people are getting married, and there are less lasting marriages than in the past. And while that is not a problem in and of itself, when you live in a society that has always promoted a married lifetyle, surely there are many unmarried people who are judging themselves based on their lack of a spouse. There is so much more to be said on what society deems to be important at the moment, or which values "the powers that be" decide to hold over our heads as the proper standard.

Could these be reasons for the lack of happy Americans? Maybe if we didn't put so much credence in things that don't determine true happiness, we would be able to focus on the things that will bring true happiness into our lives. Positive thinking does not mean that you should delude yourself into thinking that everything is great. It means looking at your circumstances, realizing what changes need to be made, and moving forward with the knowledge that you can overcome your problems. In a society that preys upon the negative thoughts and feelings of its citizens, positive thinking about ourselves and our life situations is a necessary lifeline. Instead of ridding ourselves of positivity, maybe that is exactly what we need right now, more than ever.