Link – The relentless insistence on happiness has become an emotional burden, says a Danish psychologist Svend Brinkmann
What do you think, has the self-help movement’s focus on finding happiness created a world where we are all expected to be happy?
“Tied up in the pressure to be happy is, of course, the self-help craze. Self-help books that purport to teach people how to find happiness could encourage a harmful perspective on emotions, says Brinkmann. The underlying idea that anyone can make herself feel happy implies that unhappy people are to blame for their own misfortune.
Ultimately, negative emotions play an important and healthy role in how we understand and react to the world. Guilt and shame are essential to a sense of morality. Anger is a legitimate response to injustice. Sadness helps us process tragedy. And happiness is great too. Just not all the time. “
