Tim also finds positive psychology’s emphasis on optimism troubling. Optimism is sometimes a wonderful thing, but not always. Tim gives me an example. Let’s say you’re on a flight, and there is a problem, an engine has caught fire. Would you want an optimistic pilot at the controls? Perhaps, but what you really want, Tim says, is a wise pilot. Wisdom born from years of experience. “Part of positive psychology is about being positive, but sometimes laughter and clowns are not appropriate. Some people don’t want to be happy, and that’s okay. They want meaningful lives, and those are not always
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