When positivity becomes harmful

Usually, when you start complaining or talking about something that needs to be changed, people often stop you by saying something like stay positive! or see the half full of the cup and then you end up adapting, you silence your inner voice, and you accept your circumstances; In other words, you push back on making changes.

I do too sometimes, and others do as well.

Let’s take the example of Lebanon (my country ??)

We recently had financial distress, our currency lost 98%+ of its value, majority of people became poorer, but we adapted.

On the 4th of August 2020, we had a huge explosion at Beirut Port; It is said to be one of the largest non-nuclear explosions; The result was: extensive damage, 220+ killed and 7000+ injured, but we adapted and now we live as if nothing has happened.

I can count 100s of similar events and if you move around and ask questions as: what is the plan to avoid such kind of problems in the future? When? ... you often hear this message: better days are coming so stay positive.

While I love positivity & I appreciate the attitude of never giving up, I am concerned that this is making us blind! It is making us live in denial & feel that no change is needed, when the reality is that change is mandatory and must be done just in time.

The same applies to the corporate world, how many times you faced events that were not aligned with your principles or were against what you believed is right, but you just ignored & stayed silent for some time and the minute you decided to speak up, someone in your team interrupted you in the middle of your conversation and said: let’s stay positive!

So, my message to you as a reader is, before you tell someone “Stay/be positive”, be critical, take a minute and think, is positivity in this case, constructive or destructive? is there a change needed or not? What is the long-term impact of adapting to current circumstances? ?and then advice.

Sometimes excessive positivity is harmful and will prevent you & others from making necessary changes in your life, society or at work.

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