Difference Between Toxic Positivity And Genuine Optimism

Toxic positivity not only encourages us to deny dark emotions or ignore the surroundings but is also harmful. The overuse of it can make one suffer a lot and can even increase the pain or stress one is trying to deal with. Toxic positivity is defined as the ineffective and excessive overgeneralization of an optimistic state across all situations. It is the process that results in minimizing, denial, or invalidation of human emotions. Toxic positivity can become very toxic when one tries to suppress or silence one’s emotions. When you make a person feel like their emotions are invalid or ask them to ignore the current situation, it may happen that they may suppress their emotions or start having guilt and shame for feeling this way. This modern world may hate to admit that not everything is in our control. So, toxic positivity can be seen where people often talk and behave as everything should be in their control, and being unable to control it is their fault, this is why people often try to mask their emotions.

Signs of toxic positivity

• Guilt, shame for feeling the way you are feeling.

• Trying to hide or mask your true feelings.

• Giving a perspective that it could be worse.

• Shaming others for expressing their stress, frustration, or anything other than positivity.

• Trying to brush it off when something is bothering you says it is what it is.

• Dismissing one’s emotions.

Toxic positivity compels one to hide their true emotions, to silence negative emotions, demean grief and pretend to be happy or smile when they are struggling or going through a tough situation. Examples of toxic positivity are:

Toxic Positivity

• Being negative won’t help you

• Good vibes only

• You will get over it

• Other people have it a lot worse

• Smile, crying won’t help

• Just stay positive

Whereas Genuine optimism embraces the fear of uncertainty, it is open to all possibilities. It acknowledges negative emotions without judgment, accepting that things may go against your desire. Examples of Genuine optimism are:

Genuine Optimism

• It’s important to let it out. Is there anything I can do to make it easier for you?

• I love you through all your emotional states.

• You are so resilient, and your strength will get you through it.

• You are not alone, and there is support to help you.

• It’s okay to cry, we all do, can I get a tissue or give you a hug?

• Things are tough right now, do you wanna talk about it or do something lighthearted?

It’s normal to be sad, feel hopeless, frustrated, anger when you are struggling or facing uncertainty. It is completely fine to have negative emotions. What is not fine is to suppress your emotions and not to acknowledge them. Face the situation, embrace the uncertainty, deal with it and get back to life after it with positivity and enthusiasm.