Professor of Psychology and Social Studies Barbara Held thinks it is okay to see the glass half empty. In her book, "Stop Smiling, Start Kvetching: A 5-Step Guide to Creative Complaining," she addresses what she sees as abundant optimism in America.
"Americans have a decreasing tolerance for those who are not optimistic or cannot look on the bright side," says Held.
Held's interest in the "tyranny of the positive attitude" was sparked by Martin Seligman's "Positive Psychology" movement. Seligman, the former president of the American Psychological Association, claims psychology has been founded on problems and that it should focus on the positive aspects of people's lives. Seligman has received millions of dollars worth of grants to research the notion that being positive is good for people's overall well-being.
Held emphasizes that the fundamental flaw with this approach is that most of psychology is actually focused on normal functioning. Moreover, she says, "One size does not fit all when it comes to individuals. Different people have different temperaments and coping styles."
Held thinks that positive psychology proponents overlook this in their enthusiasm to promote being positive, but research shows that forcing people to utilize coping styles that go against their nature can be harmful.
Held is particularly interested in the research of Julie Norem, a professor at Wellesley College. Norem, whose research has spanned over 20 years, categorizes test subjects as either defensive pessimists or strategic optimists. A defensive pessimist is someone who worries about the worst possible outcomes and strategizes ways to cope with those outcomes in advance; alternatively, strategic optimists ignore possible problems and tend to look on the bright side. Norem randomly assigns subjects to one of the two groups of coping strategies, regardless of whether they are defensive pessimists or strategic optimist. The subjects are asked to complete a variety of challenges ranging from academic, logical, interpersonal, and physical tasks, using their assigned coping strategy.
Norem found that those who were asked to complete the challenges using their regular coping mechanisms were more successful, while those who were asked to act against their nature showed signs of decreased ability to function. These findings are consistent with Held's own beliefs about positive psychology and its potentially harmful effects on people.
"Maybe I should start selling 'It's OK to complain' bracelets," Held was quoted as saying in the January 27 issue of the Los Angeles Times. She was responding to a story about a Missouri reverend who challenged his congregation to abstain from complaining for three weeks by wearing bracelets that would remind them not to. Held, who doesn't think complaining is bad, believes that the reverend's challenge fits into a bigger trend of optimism in America.
Held's criticism of the Missouri church landed her a spot on "The Today Show." Two weeks ago, Held was taped responding to questions and defending her argument against the philosophy of the church.
The air date of the segment is unknown, but it will include a response from the reverend.