But as with most things, it turns out that the answer might not be that simple. What’s
good may not always be good, and what’s bad may not always be bad. Being kind
and caring is a good thing – as long as the person you are kind and caring
towards deserves your kindness. Being forgiving may produce contentment – except
when the forgiver has no plans to make amends. Being optimistic about the
future may keep your spirits up and help you feel happy – unless you are a
gambler who believes the next bet will be the big one.
We have labeled certain traits and states “positive” and
others “negative” but according to researchers Jim McNulty and Frank Fincham “psychological
traits and processes are not inherently positive or negative; instead, whether
psychological characteristics promote or undermine well-being depends on the
context in which they operate.”
1.
Consider
the context. In order to understand when traits and processes are
beneficial, we need to consider them within the social context. “Positive”
traits and processes may not be positive in all conditions, and under certain
circumstances, they could actually be harmful. Forgiving your spouse might
strengthen your relationship if her transgression is forgetting to turn off the
lights, and it’s clear she feels bad about her forgetfulness. But if she is
constantly belittling you in front of your friends, and shows no remorse for
her actions, forgiveness may not be the best approach.
2.
Consider
the sample. The positive psychology movement helped psychologists realize that
we cannot understand the whole of the human condition if we focus only on those
who have problems. Likewise, we cannot understand how to promote well-being if
we focus only on those who are already happy. In order to uncover the secrets
to living a happy and healthy life, we must examine the effects of
psychological characteristics not just within samples of people who are
functioning optimally, but also those with dysfunction. Perhaps optimism is
only beneficial for those who have something to be optimistic about. To find
out, we must conduct studies on both the college undergraduate with the bright
future and the medical patient who was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer.
3.
Consider
the timeline. Most psychological research is cross-sectional (measuring how
a bunch of people feel at one point in time). To find out how psychological
characteristics truly influence well-being, we need to look at them longitudinally
(sampling the same people at many different time points throughout their
lives). This is important because researchers are discovering that what can be
good in the short term might be detrimental over the long run. Spouses who deal
with serious relationship problems by being kind to each other instead of
critical report feeling better about their relationships in the moment, but
over time they become less satisfied relative to spouses who were more critical.
Why? The critical spouses deal with their problems which helps to improve their
relationships.
Why does this matter? The positive psychology movement is widespread and many of us have taken the movement to heart. Therapies, self-help books, and better living apps are now centered on the promotion of positive characteristics, such as being more kind and forgiving. But if characteristics like kindness and forgiveness aren’t necessarily a good thing for everyone, than we need to move forward with caution, only promoting these characteristics in the contexts in which they are likely to be fruitful.
Did you hop on the positive psychology bandwagon? Do you agree it's time to take the "positive" out of positive psychology? Suggestions for other ways to do this?
Did you hop on the positive psychology bandwagon? Do you agree it's time to take the "positive" out of positive psychology? Suggestions for other ways to do this?
The Article:
McNulty, J., & Fincham, F. (2012). Beyond positive psychology? Toward a contextual view of psychological processes and well-being. American Psychologist, 67 (2), 101-110 DOI: 10.1037/a0024572
To suggest that kindness is not always good is to confuse a value with an action or an end result. Kindness is always good: unless you are a brutal warrior who cleaves to violence. For the rest of us, it does not matter whether someone deserves kindness or not or whether we benefit or not. How you handle a commitment to kindness in practice given a brutal recipient is another matter entirely. Positive psychology has it mostly wrong, but this proposal does not help. Humanity needs a conception of a "better self" that acts has a counterpoint to our egotism The approach here is unrepentantly egotistical. It asks what is good for you: not what is good for others or wider society. It is as if there is no awareness of wisdom teachings and the well-being that emerges from achieving some balance in life.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to start getting a proper fix on these things, you might do worse than visit: http://thee-online.com/Frameworks/R-Complex-Orientation-to-Your-Better-Self.aspx
Thanks for brining up an important distinction between the value/trait and the end result. McNulty and Fincham are arguing that certain "good" values don't always lead to good outcomes, but whether the value is inherently positive or negative is likely another question (perhaps one best left to the philosophers?).
DeleteThanks for reading!
Amie