Disappointing

[sabotabby]

Just finished reading the very much hyped The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking. Since I have this issue with people telling me to "stay positive," I figured it'd be up my alley, but no. It pays lip-service to a critique of the cult of positive thinking, then goes on about the Stoics (or a pop psychology version of the Stoics, anyway; I have too many friends in philosophy to not cringe at that chapter), Zen Buddhism, and Eckhart Tolle. I know next to nothing about Eckhart Tolle besides what a co-worker said about him this one time, but I'm already sick of him.

Basically, it was "live in the now" type advice that I'm sure is very helpful for people whose now sucks less than mine does. I'm so sick of that crap. It's just as useless and privileged as the turn-that-frown-upside-down nonsense that pervades Western culture. And it ends up, despite protests to the contrary, ultimately just as disempowering.

Bright-sided: How Positive Thinking is Undermining America by Barbara Ehrenreich covers the same basic concept (and is referenced in the book) but is a gazillion times better and 99.99% woo-free.

Comments

[mistersmearcase.livejournal.com]

I read and liked the first chapter of the Ehrenreich, was going to recommend it before I got to the last paragraph. I should go back and read the rest. I guess I would if I were ever able to concentrate on anything for more than 30 seconds.

[monster-grrrl.livejournal.com]

I suspect there are some benefits to being present in the moment and finding beauty in them, but somehow I don't think this book means that by "living in the now".

I would love to borrow that Ehenreich (sp?) book if you still have it.

Come join me in my blanket fort of stoned cynicism. We've got cartoons!

[dobrovolets.livejournal.com]

I'm reading Telegraph Avenue right now, and one of the main characters is seriously into Marcus Aurelius. 106 pages in, and I'm convinced that it's a cover for fucked-up narcissism.

The hell with stoicism.

[smartasskicker.livejournal.com]

There are a lot of people in my city who are totally over-the-top with the positive thinking. No one here has been blessed with privilege or luck... they're successful because they've bootstrapped themselves with positivity, hooray for them! Boo for anyone who hasn't had the same experience! It's a total drag.

Anyway... I just obtained Bright-Sided on audiobook and am looking forward to "reading" it while cleaning my apartment and running errands tomorrow.

[auralarua.livejournal.com]

I bought and read bright sided a while back when you talked about it. It's a good 'un.

[nichtsda.livejournal.com]

Thank you yet again for reading certain books so that we don't have to. I've seen that book at the library and was intrigued by the title, but wary of the contents. Your description pretty much covers what I suspected. Also, I have developed a slight allergy to the word "happiness" in the titles of books or blog posts. We can't be happy all the time, even under generally favorable circumstances. I reject any BS about how the only barrier to happiness is your way of thinking when it doesn't take much work to discover that there are many people who have real barriers to basic needs that no vision board can resolve.

And I dislike the prevailing idea in pop self-help that any emotion other than happiness is only ever destructive. Just imagine if certain historical figures had been fixated on trying to feel happy in the moment. Susan B. Anthony could have stopped being so unhappy about American women being treated like third-class citizens and instead brightened up her beautiful house with fresh-cut flowers and a colorful Finnish print duvet! (Another strike: most advice on how to be happy tends to be classist and privileged.)

I have been curious about Julie Norem's The Positive Power of Negative Thinking about defensive pessimism. I definitely feel that's how I manage to be successful at work. But I have enough on the reading list right now.

I totally agree with you about Bright-Sided. There are many people for whom it should be mandatory reading.

[sabotabby]

Amen on all counts. I haven't read Norem's book but it sounds intriguing. Defensive pessimism is generally how I've managed to cope with everything. I think that's one of the things this book was trying to go for, but it fell short.