The Happiness Trend: The Ideal Of Happiness

Over the past decade, positive psychology has changed from a cognitive goal to a pop culture ideal. The ideal of happiness has been forced into society’s consciousness, making us believe that we should strive to be constantly happy, and if someone is not happy, then they are sick. The “happiness trend” has led people to believe that negative emotions are worthless when in reality they often help people through tough situations, and these negative emotions have aided the human species for thousands of years. Many people on the happiness bandwagon often assert that negative emotions, such as sadness, nervousness, or fear, are bad; however, many psychologists boldly declare that these emotions have a positive impact on our lives.

Despite evidence

Excessive negativity can be signs of mental health issues, and these issues can lead to a person physically harming themselves or taking their own life. Those who are in this depressed state often push people away leading to negative social lives. This can be an issue because, as shown in a study by Edward Diener, friends and positive social relations help to boost happiness (Wallis). Negative emotions also can have a direct impact on our physical health. While it can be said that some negative emotions can be helpful they also can be a sign of mental disorders. An excess of negative emotions can be a warning sign

There is a flipped side to this argument though. According to one study, overwhelming happiness can be a sign of mania which leads to other mental disorders (David 124). An excess of happiness is shown to be just as damaging to one’s health as an excess of sorrow. Being overly happy can also be detrimental to one’s social life due to how people in an exceptionally good mood are less likely to pick up on the emotions and needs of other people.

Nevertheless, many people refuse to believe that negativity is a good thing. Instead of embracing their emotions, people have been taught to medicate themselves in order to achieve the “positive mind set” that we, as a culture, are taught to seek. In a society where drug abuse is rampant, using antidepressants for natural emotions makes the problem worse. As a culture, we should understand that negative emotions are a part of life, and we need to embrace them or we may lose a vital part of what makes us