Sensei

16 September

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Beyond ‘Positive Thinking’

Posted by Allen Baird, Partner in positive psychology

This is quick blog to make a quick point: there is a world of difference between ‘positive thinking’ and positive psychology.

Positive thinking…

…is a largely esoteric and notoriously vague concept. It was the brain child of Norman Vincent Peel. It has also been advocated by those associated with the New Age Movement, NLP and the farther reaches of the personal development industry. This of course neither makes it false nor dangerous as a matter of necessity. It does however put it beyond the Western scientific model.

Positive psychology…

…on the other hand is just that: an accepted and respected branch of the academic discipline of psychology. While it does overlap somewhat with philosophy in terms of some of the questions it asks and ideas it ponders (e.g. well-being and meaning), it steers away from quick-fix answers and mystical methods. Do not confuse the two!

So why am I labouring this point? To remove any prejudice from your minds’ before I share some interesting news. Did you know that it is a scientific fact that optimistic women live longer than others? Studies by both American scientists have shown that optimistic people have a lower risk of heart disease. Cynicism literally destroys the heart. Earlier studies by Dutch scientist have shown the same thing with regard to men.

So the next time you’re tempted to sneer at the ‘half full rather than half empty‘ kind of person…don’t. When listening to the sound of an optimist, even the arch-pessimist Thomas Hardy had to admit that maybe there was out there “Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew, that I was unaware”.

Image credit: ESOX LUCIUS.