The Dark Side of Positive Thinking
“Hope is a lamp; denial is a blindfold.”
For decades, we’ve been told to “look on the bright side,” to reframe obstacles as opportunities, and to keep an upbeat mindset in the face of uncertainty. There’s truth in this: optimism can widen our sense of possibility, buffer stress, and help us persevere. But when positivity becomes a rule rather than a resource, it starts to distort reality. The result isn’t resilience, it’s performance. This essay explores the shadow side of positive thinking: how it can silence pain, erase context, and limit growth, and how we can replace compulsory cheerfulness with honest, grounded hope.