I wondered how my philosophy would be affected by the book
"Bright–Sided: How the relentless
promotion of positive thinking has undermined America" by Barbara
Ehrenreich. I have not changed my mind, but I have discovered
ways that I will need to be specific and clear when I share my own thoughts.
One idea that I like in particular is that smiles and kind
words are contagious whether in person or through social media. That's what my
goal is here.
The following are the most important ideas in regard to what
I hope to accomplish.
1 - Ignoring reality will cause delusions. It is important
to think positively but that needs to be tempered by truth and observable
facts.
2 - Our thoughts alone do not cause change. Simply
visualizing our wishes does not make them come true. We must use action and
effort to achieve our desires.
3 - I have often struggled with, “if all I need to do is
change my thoughts, what am I doing wrong?” The author stresses that we are not
to blame for our own misfortunes. A lot of “positive thinking” literature
claims that we can create our own reality. I agree, but to do that we must take
action and try to find ways to feel positive in spite of negative
circumstances.
The book was interesting. She made a lot of good points and
did have me questioning my own ideas. Questioning is good because it helps us
be more certain in our own beliefs. She goes into the history of how “positive
thinking” started. She shows several
ways in which it has been detrimental in our culture, but her focus is on
positive thinking in the absence of realistic and critical thinking.
The only way we can make change is by thinking critically,
realistically, hopefully and putting those thoughts into action. It is amazing
what we can do!
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