Various psychologists and psychiatrists define optimism as "saying yes to life" despite the pains, losses or guilts we must face. Although toxic positivity insists that we must always maintain such an approach, tragic optimism encourages us to feel difficult emotions that come from different tragedies and find meaning in them.
Staying positive is very important, but sometimes it's not the only way to respond to a crisis. Why?
1. Because so, we ignore the real damage it can do to us.
Staying positive in emergencies in some cases can hurt us more than it helps. For example, if you find yourself in an abusive relationship and you choose to stay there. It may seem like opsism to you that he/she will change and forgive them, but that is not the case. The consequences will be long-term.
2. We deny our true feelings
When we strengthen ourselves to see the good side of things, we are suppressing negative sensations, which makes the trysnia of this energy even stronger. Those sensations will surface for a moment, especially if you're facing a tragedy. By staying positive and pretending things are fine, you won't choose anything.
3. We do not learn any lessons from pain
By trying to maintain our own "positive energy", our ability to face challenges is reduced. By avoiding negative emotions, we lose the information we need. The one we can learn something from. Optimism is not enough.
4. Understanding things increases hope of facing tragedy
No matter where life takes us at one point or another, if we find the meaning behind everything, we can move forward and know happiness. Hope allows us to find balance between the painful things that are currently happening to us and the meaning that comes after this expedition.
