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Optimistic bias may cause us to see things in a less objective manner, but that doesn’t mean it’s all bad. Such biasness, otherwise known as optimism bias, is evident in how parents typically believe that their children are more talented than others’, how newlyweds perceive themselves as very unlikely to divorce despite the prevailing high rates, and how we routinely engage in unhealthy lifestyle such as smoking and drinking thinking that we are less likely to succumb to illnesses such as cancer and liver failure. It cause us to falsely assume that positive things are more likely to happen to us than others, and that we are more invulnerable to negative events than the rest. Over-optimism can cloud our minds and lead us to miscalculate risks and make unsound decisions. They could have perceive them to be too far-fetched from how they truly feel about themselves, and saying them aloud may have even brought to attention their insecurity. Instead of having their mood lifted, the affirmations actually dampens it. Using positive affirmations to counter negative self-talk may not also work for everyone, as uncovered by a study which found that students with low self-esteem actually felt worse after they were asked to repeat the positive statement "I’m a lovable person" every 15 seconds. Suppressing thoughts appear to make things worse, as those who were specifically instructed not to think of a white bear actually rang more times than those who were told to think of one at the onset. In the classic "white bear" experiment, participants were told to ring a bell whenever a white bear flashes in their mind. Read also: 8 Scientifically Proven Ways to Increase Your HappinessĪt any rate, forcing negative (or any) thoughts out of our head is not only an attempt in futility it can even backfire on us. Allowing oneself to feel a wide range of both positive and negative emotions helps one find meaning in life and grow as a human being amid adversities - an essential recipe for cultivating psychological flexibility. Without feeling the emotional pain that inevitably arises from various setbacks we encounter in our lives, we will never be driven to change things for the better for ourselves and for others.
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Contrary to what some self-help books may suggest, our psychological well-being doesn’t simply improve when we attempt to will away all our sadness, anger, fear and other unpleasant feelings with positive thoughts. Sadly, so much focus has been given to the power of positive thinking that we no longer appreciate the goodness of negative emotions. To answer that question, let us observe at the following pitfalls of positive thinking and of holding an overly-optimistic outlook on life: 1. We need to ask ourselves how far we can go about with rose-tinted glasses before it actually becomes detrimental to us. Too much of a good thing is often bad, just as overdosing on water can cause hyponatremia (or water intoxication). Sure, positive thinking is an effective coping mechanism but, as with many things in life, balance is key. That said, many pop psychology books we see in bookstores today are actually pushing for the latter without adequately revealing the often hidden dangers of holding extreme, unrealistic optimism. While numerous research findings have brought to light the many benefits of maintaining an optimistic outlook in life, some of us prefer to keep a more realistic perspective and reject adopting a Pollyanna view of the world. There are tons of literature out there advocating "positive thinking" as the key to happiness.