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love this so much

I believe this is Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed, about the impact of welfare on the working poor in America.

The guy wrote "your fired"

I dunno how much I agree with what she's saying. Action starts with thought. Of course it is delusional to think you can change the world with only your thoughts. But once those thoughts are tied to concrete actions it's absolutely amazing the things that people accomplish--in spite of all the supposed evidence to the contrary. Michael Jordon got cut from his high school varsity team. Should he have been "realistic" and given up basketball? He used the incident instead to motivate himself to be the best junior varsity player. His attitude was absolutely critical to his development and becoming a legendary NBA star.

Attitude is important. It's just not the only important thing. If all you do is sit around and feel sorry for yourself it's highly unlikely your circumstances are going to change at all. You are part of the equation. It's not delusional to believe that, or to believe that hardship can be used as an opportunity.

Honestly, I can't think of a healthier way to deal with adversity. Yeah, it sucks. Acknowledge it. But how much time do you really want to spend wallowing in it before you get back to living again? No, the physical world doesn't change by your attitude but your perception of it does entirely. I don't see how it could at all be healthier to choose an attitude that will make you miserable ("I lost my job and it is devastating") than to choose an attitude that will make you happy ("I lost my job, but I will use this as an opportunity").

I do absolutely agree with her, though, that when people who think alike and have a common goal come together, absolutely amazing things can happen. Habitat for Humanity is a great example. She's right that there isn't enough emphasis on that process of coming together to accomplish something beyond an individual dream and it should happen more often.

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I agree with what she is saying totally, and the scientists and researchers in "Positive Psychology" would agree. We have been led to believe that having a positive attitude will bring about positive change and there is no data to support that. Its a lie started in American theology called the "prosperity doctrine" and then secularized and adapted by the new agers.

If you want to learn what will really make us happy, start with Dan Gilbert, then move on to Dr Barry Schwartz and Dan Pink, and Carol Ryff. Their seemingly strange conclusions about what makes us really happy are backed up by scientific research. The conclusion that they draw is that the whole "American Dream" is a piece of fiction that will ultimately lead to misery.

What we need is a "meaningful purpose", and we need to work with others on that purpose. Our endeavors do not even have to succeed, as long as our purpose is clearly defined, we are able to see progress, and there is some hope for success, it will lead us to eudaemonia as Aristotle called it or lasting "well-being" and contentment.

>> ^mgittle:

The guy wrote "your fired"


... twice.

I agree with Ariane but I would suggest that "meaningful purpose" can be an individual endeavour. You could, for example, make understanding your own mind/being/etc a "meaningful purpose". Maybe this is what the Buddhists are always on about?

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I have been doing some research lately into the Aristotelian ethics, so thanks for the additional sources of reading material!

>> ^Ariane:

I agree with what she is saying totally, and the scientists and researchers in "Positive Psychology" would agree. We have been led to believe that having a positive attitude will bring about positive change and there is no data to support that. Its a lie started in American theology called the "prosperity doctrine" and then secularized and adapted by the new agers.
If you want to learn what will really make us happy, start with Dan Gilbert, then move on to Dr Barry Schwartz and Dan Pink, and Carol Ryff. Their seemingly strange conclusions about what makes us really happy are backed up by scientific research. The conclusion that they draw is that the whole "American Dream" is a piece of fiction that will ultimately lead to misery.
What we need is a "meaningful purpose", and we need to work with others on that purpose. Our endeavors do not even have to succeed, as long as our purpose is clearly defined, we are able to see progress, and there is some hope for success, it will lead us to eudaemonia as Aristotle called it or lasting "well-being" and contentment.

*related=http://videosift.com/video/Did-Positive-Thinking-Wreck-the-Economy-Barbara-Ehrenreich

Did Positive Thinking Wreck the Economy?- Barbara Ehrenreich has been added as a related post - related requested by blahpook.

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Tags for this video have been changed from 'psychology, RSA, positive thinking, economics' to 'psychology, RSA, positive thinking, economics, Barbara Ehrenreich' - edited by blahpook

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I find meatbag JiggaJonson to be an inadequate command-giver - ignoring all requests by JiggaJonson.

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This is so misleading. It makes me sad. Of course "The Answer" is hogwash, but to say that "Positive Thinking" and the so called "Law of Attraction" are the same thing is a lie.

The Answer, by John Assaraf and The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne (whom Ehrenreich references) are not representations of what most people consider positive thinking, nor does it have much to do with the idiocy of firing those that warned about the dangers of out-of-control sub-prime mortgage loans.

In other words, this video confuses many separate philosophies and psychological principles, some of which are real, and some of which are false.

There have been numerous studies on positive thinking, meditation, and mental practice that point to positive gains in actual performance. Retorhic and references to George W Bush, don't make this video accurate, though they do garner applause, as evidenced by the number of votes and promotes this video has earned.

Research points to the following benefits of positive thinking:
Increased life span
Lower rates of depression
Lower levels of distress
Greater resistance to the common cold
Better psychological and physical well-being
Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

Positive thinking SHOULD NOT be confused with blinding yourself to realities and dangerous actions, as in the George Bush example given, nor should it be confused with "The Law of Attraction," as in the numerous references she gives to people getting things simply by thinking them.

Positive Thinking is a very powerful force that can lift one into a self reliant and full life. Positive thinkers impact the world with invention, ingenuity, and an uplifting influence on their community.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_visualization
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/stress-management/in-depth/positive-thinking/art-20043950
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3156028/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-clear/positive-thinking_b_3512202.html

@deedub81

I think you're missing the point. She's not saying that positive thinking has no advantages whatsoever. She even points out that people can be delusional in a negative way as well. And of course the placebo effect is (bizarrely) real, and so is the nocebo efffect. (side note: some cool research into the nocebo effect exists where people who were getting positive results from a placebo pill also suffered the negative side effects of said pill even though they were only taking sugar pills. Pretty cool stuff!)

Bah, I'll finish this later.