Liz story: Don't Put on a Happy Face

We all know all about thinking positive, but there's an aspect of that dogma which, to me, is the emotional equivalent of airbrushing models to inhuman beauty standards: no one can be that hap-hap-happy all the time, just like most of us can't be that tall, skinny or nicely dressed all the time.

     Still, most of us, when confronted by a sad situation, instinctively want to pipe up "Look on the bright side!" and get our friends, who could have just gotten a pink slip, a heart break or a bad diagnosis, to feel better. Keying off of Barbara Ehrenreich's recent book "Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking has Undermined America," I interviewed four authors, including Christina Nehring, Dr. John Sharp, Dr. Charles Sophy (from Celebrity Rehab)  and Sheri Winston about what is that best way to receive bad news from a friend: Don't Put on a Happy Face: Why Fake Optimism is the Worst Way to Deal With Bad News. I hope everyone you know is too prosperous, well and happy for you to ever need it...but just in case...enjoy.
(PS: Toy Talk, which usually runs on Tuesday, will be up later this week.)

Comments

  1. NadsDecember 8, 2009 at 6:53 AM

    Bright side, my ass!

    ReplyDelete
  2. faultroyDecember 8, 2009 at 3:03 PM

    Liz: Picked up your "Fake Optimism" piece on Alternet.org. Looks like your copy is getting more provocative all the time. I really liked the way you handled it. Hope you go back and read some of the comments--some slowly--to get some indication as to how people chewed on your piece. The comments say it all...nice job kid.

    ReplyDelete

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