Positive Psychology – Unmitigated Good, and Pessimism As a Categorical Impediment to Wellbeing

E L C I contrasting phenomena were implicitly T conceptualised as negative, positioned as R intrinsically undesirable. So, for example, A optimism tended to be valorised as an Positive psychology – unmitigated good, and pessimism as a categorical impediment to wellbeing. Some scholars did paint a more nuanced the second wave picture; for instance, Seligman (1990, p.292) cautioned that one must be ‘able Tim Lomas delves into the dialectical nuances of flourishing to use pessimism’s keen sense of reality when we need it’. However, in terms of the broader discourse of the field, and its cultural impact, a less nuanced binary t is nearly 20 years since Martin wellbeing – could be brought together message held sway. Seligman used his American and considered collectively. Thus, as While seemingly offering an upbeat IPsychological Association presidential a novel branch of scholarship focused message – linking positive emotions to address to inaugurate the notion of specifically and entirely on ‘the science beneficial outcomes, such as health ‘positive psychology’. The rationale for its and practice of improving wellbeing’ (Fredrickson & Levenson, 1998) – this creation was Seligman’s contention that (Lomas et al., 2015, p.1347), it was valorisation of positivity was problematic, psychology had tended to focus mainly a welcome new addition to the broader for various reasons. Firstly, it often failed on what is wrong with people: on church of psychology. to sufficiently appreciate the contextual dysfunction, disorder and distress. There However, positive psychology was complexity of emotional outcomes. For were of course pockets of scholarship that not without its critics. A prominent instance, ‘excessive’ optimism can be held a candle for human potential and focus of concern was the very notion harmful to wellbeing (e.g. contributing excellence, like humanistic psychology. underpinning the entire field. Essentially, to underappreciation of risk), while Nevertheless, Seligman argued that on the positive psychology appeared to be pessimism may be beneficial, such as whole, concepts such as happiness did promulgating a rather polarising positive – when it prompts proactive coping not attract much attention or credibility negative dichotomy. Certain phenomena (Norem, 2001). Of even greater concern in mainstream psychology. Emerging to were labelled as positive, and thus was Held’s (2002, p.965) suggestion that redress this lacuna, positive psychology presented as inherently desirable. The this emphasis on positivity contributed to soon became a fertile new paradigm, necessary corollary, of course, is that a ‘tyranny of the positive,’ to the cultural encompassing research into expectation that one should be a panoply of processes and upbeat, with social censure for qualities that could be people who could not find the deemed ‘positive’, from requisite positivity. Similarly, in overarching constructs such the work arena, Ehrenreich (2009) as flourishing to more specific accused organisations of concepts like hope. compelling forced jollity as a way Of course, none of this of hindering dissent and cajoling was radically new: many of more out of workers. these topics had been studied Perhaps most perniciously, empirically for years by this ‘tyranny’ fed into a pervasive scholars in disparate fields, cultural discourse in which and indeed had been debated negative emotional states are not for centuries, millennia even. simply seen as undesirable, but However, part of the appeal pathological. As Horwitz and of the new field was that it Wakeﬁeld (2007) suggest in The created a conceptual space Loss of Sadness , dysphoric where these diverse topics – emotions that were previously all of which shared the ‘family regarded as natural and inherent resemblance’ (à la Positive psychology has tended to promote a somewhat dimensions of the human condition Wittgenstein) of pertaining to polarising positive –negative dichotomy have largely been re-framed as s Bauman, Z. (2013). Liquid love: On the positive thinking fooled America and Queen's University Press. Worth, P. (2015). Second wave positive e c frailty of human bonds. New York: the world . London: Granta. Henrich, J., Heine, S.J. & Norenzayan, A. psychology: Embracing the dark side of n e John Wiley & Sons. Fredrickson, B. & Levenson, R.W. (1998). (2010). Most people are not WEIRD. life . London: Routledge. r e f De Boinod, A.J. (2007). The meaning of Positive emotions speed recovery Nature, 466( 7302), 29 –29. Keene, D. (1967). Essays in idleness: The e r tingo: And other extraordinary words from the cardiovascular sequelae of Held, B.S. (2002). The tyranny of the Tsurezuregusa of Kenkō . New York: from around the world . London: negative emotions. Cognition and positive attitude in America. Journal Columbia University Press. Penguin. Emotion, 12 (2) , 191 –220. of Clinical Psychology, 58 (9) , 965 –991. King, L.A. (2001). The hard road to the Dyrness, W.A. & Kärkkäinen, V-M. (2008). Gabriel, B. (2004). The unbearable Horwitz, A.V. & Wakeﬁeld, J.C. (2007). good life. Journal of Humanistic Global dictionary of theology . strangeness of being. In B. Gabriel & The loss of sadness . Oxford: Oxford Psychology, 41 (1) , 51 –72. Nottingham: IVP Academic. S. Ilcan (Eds.) Postmodernism and the University Press. Lazarus, R.S. (2003). The Lazarus Ehrenreich, B. (2009). Smile or die: How ethical subject. New York: McGill- Ivtzan, I., Lomas, T., Hefferon, K. & manifesto for positive psychology and 536 vol 29 no 7 july 2016 positive psychology: the second wave disorders, and certainly as problematic. (McNulty & Fincham, 2011). Positive psychology arguably contributed, Even happiness and albeit unwittingly, to this process. sadness are not immune from such considerations. Meet the author Superficial forms of happiness Blending light and dark might forestall efforts to ‘When I was offered a lectureship in positive psychology The above critiques could be regarded pursue deeper states of in 2013, it was wonderful to become immersed in this as undermining positive psychology. fulfilment, or tranquillise exciting area. But part of me found the field somewhat However, my colleagues and I take a us into acquiescing to social daunting. It often gave the impression of being so different view: stimulated by these contexts that ultimately relentlessly upbeat that, if you weren’t swept up by this concerns, we feel the field is responding undermine our wellbeing. spirit of positivity, you could feel like an outsider. It soon receptively, evolving into what we Conversely, sadness may be transpired that some other colleagues and students felt describe as ‘second wave’ positive thoroughly appropriate, such something similar. psychology (SWPP) (Ivtzan et al., 2015; as in response to loss; it may As we opened up to these ideas, the field started to Lomas & Ivtzan, 2015; Wong, 2011). even have real salutary value, feel more real, more human, closer to the ambivalent, If the ‘first wave’ is characterised by a humane response to suffering fluctuating blend of light and dark that characterises valorisation of the positive, SWPP perhaps, or a refined aesthetic most people’s lives. We hope that this second wave of recognises that wellbeing actually response to transient beauty. the field will be useful not only to those who are already involves a subtle, dialectical interplay As we dwell on such enjoying the warm sun of positivity, but also to all people, between positive and negative considerations, clear-cut even – or rather, especially – during times of darkness.’ phenomena. This recognition challenges determinations of ‘positive’ and that idea that wellbeing is coterminous ‘negative’ become harder to with constructs like ‘happiness’; rather, it make. Dr Tim Lomas becomes a more expansive term, one that It is not just that such is at the School of Psychology, includes negative emotions if these serve appraisals are difficult; the University of East London some broader sense of ‘being/doing well’. second principle of co-valence [email protected] For instance, Pollard and Davidson reflects the idea that many (2001, p.10) define wellbeing as ‘a state phenomena comprise positive of successful performance across the life and negative elements course integrating physical, cognitive and (Lazarus, 2003). This is social-emotional function’. One could see even so for arguably the most how ostensibly negative emotions, like cherished of all human phenomena: the greater the risk of heartbreak. As prudent anxiety, could subserve this love. While there are many forms of Bauman (2013, p.6) eloquently puts it, larger goal. More specifically, SWPP is love – from the passion of eros to the ‘to love means opening up to that most underpinned by four dialectical selflessness of agape – all are a dialectical sublime of all human conditions, one in principles: appraisal; co-valence; blend of light and dark. There are many which fear blends with joy into an alloy complementarity; and evolution. ways of viewing this dialectic, but all are that no longer allows its ingredients to The principle of appraisal states that variations on the poignant lamentation of separate’. it can be hard to categorise phenomena C.S. Lewis (1971): ‘To love at all is to be Finally, the principle of evolution as either positive or negative, since such vulnerable. Love anything and your heart contextualises the very idea of SWPP. Just appraisals are fundamentally contextually will be wrung and possibly broken.’ Thus, as SWPP is defined by an appreciation of dependent. For instance,

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