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Positive Psychology; Positive Thinking

Discussion in 'Other psychosomatic news and research' started by Cheshire, Oct 18, 2017.

  1. TiredSam

    TiredSam Committee Member

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    You really like to tweak the nose of terror, don't you?

    :emoji_punch:
     
    healthforall and Trish like this.
  2. healthforall

    healthforall Established Member (Voting Rights)

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  3. JemPD

    JemPD Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Times article "Positive thinking is the best way to get a grip"

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/...nking-is-the-best-way-to-get-a-grip-h97dqfhnj
    Paywalled but if you 'join' you get 2 free articles a month

    Well Duh! How do they get funding for this bull?!

    Those who were healthy were able to get out & about more, exercise, spend time doing meaningful, fulfilling things, & building meaningful relationships... instead of wasting away suffering at home or confined to their beds unable to participate like those forced to be chronic illness... and guess what? those healthy people believed the 'worthwhile' things they were doing, were 'worthwhile', and those too ill/frail to do much that they wanted to do or felt was worthwhile, were aware of that fact & said so.

    But of course it's the thinking thats responsible for the :banghead:


    Hmmm.... can anyone sense an Aylward-like agenda to blame elderly people who are ill & miserable, & surreptitiously drip feed the idea it's their thinking that's to blame for the increase in care costs of an ageing population, .... lovely....how convenient - those pesky old people living in isolated misery in sickness & poverty, can just be swept away with some positive thinking.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 27, 2022
    TiredSam, MEMarge, rvallee and 8 others like this.
  4. Barry

    Barry Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Whilst reading your post it occurred to me to say ... exactly what I then read further in your post :).
     
    MEMarge, JemPD, Sean and 3 others like this.
  5. inox

    inox Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    So - people with better overall health were able to do more fullfilling activities.......? Yeah, big surprise.

    Other, alternative conclusions - People with better hand grip - or people with higher vitamin D levels, feel their activitites are more worthwhile!
     
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  6. Trish

    Trish Moderator Staff Member

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    The headline is the problem. Muddling correlation with causation and getting the causation the wrong way round.
     
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  7. DokaGirl

    DokaGirl Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Circular "logic". If you're healthy, you do healthy things, and feel your life is worthwhile, and then you do more healthy things. No mention of fortunate genetics, comfortable financial position, or any number of other things that effect one's ability to get out and boogie. And, many, many disabled people are disregarded in this article.
     
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  8. alex3619

    alex3619 Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    I am thinking that pseudoscience is alive and well in modern times. I am positive about that.

    Positive thinking is dangerous New Age cultism, that has wormed its way into academia. I wont say its wormed its way into science, as pseudoscience is an academic position that claims to be science, but fails to adhere to effective scientific principles.

    There is nothing wrong with a positive outlook. How this is presented though is its mandatory to have a positive outlook, and this will fix things. When the sick and disabled do this and nothing changes it can be severely demoralising, and can lead to depression and suicide.

    I have another angle on this kind of pseudoscience that I am looking at in established academia, where this is a recognised problem. I might blog on this if I am well enough to think through the issues. Hint - this is nineteenth century thinking, and there are multiple cases.
     
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  9. chrisb

    chrisb Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    I thought it might have been better had they asked the son to write the article. Then it transpired that this is the son. I thought the name familiar.
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Steptoe

    He has also advanced the theoretical underpinning of psychobiological processes, building on allostatic theory to formulate a taxonomy of autonomic, neuroendocrine, inflammatory, and immune pathways through which life experiences influence disease risk. Steptoe is involved in research on the determinants of healthy lifestyles, the relation of depression to physical health, and links between mental health and physical activity
     
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  10. JemPD

    JemPD Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    uh, well 'say no more' then!
     
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  11. DokaGirl

    DokaGirl Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Wonder what these academics think if they or their significant others become seriously ill. Has there not been enough gym time, or smiling?
     
    EzzieD, JemPD, MEMarge and 1 other person like this.
  12. Mij

    Mij Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    I'm positive thinking that feeling better gets you out in the sunshine more often, therefore increasing vitamin D levels:emoji_thinking:
     
    JemPD likes this.
  13. Snow Leopard

    Snow Leopard Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Confusing cause and effect...
     
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  14. TiredSam

    TiredSam Committee Member

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    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 27, 2022
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  15. TiredSam

    TiredSam Committee Member

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    BBC Health news - Looking on the bright side 'means you live longer'
    https://www.bbc.com/news/health-49447685

    BBC News (looks like they couldn't even find a journalist to put their name to it this time, it's usually James Gallagher) hosting an advert for the psychosocial agenda and CBT.

    Still, look on the bright side ...
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 27, 2022
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  16. Hoopoe

    Hoopoe Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    How dystopian. Never mind increasing poverty, inequality, defunding and privatization of healthcare. Think positively. That will make you live longer.
     
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  17. TiredSam

    TiredSam Committee Member

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    It's a strategy used by US companies - send everyone on a positive thinking course a few months before you fire them in their droves. That way they've been brainwashed into seeing opportunity in adversity etc and won't cause so much hassle about being fired in their droves. I wonder what the BBC has lined up for us around the corner?
     
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  18. Trish

    Trish Moderator Staff Member

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    It just teaches people to act out 'happy' and fill in questionnaires saying they are thinking positive thoughts, when they are miserable and angry inside because of circumstances. Reminds me of resilience training for bullied and downtrodden employees - teach them to toughen up and put up with the bullying, rather than tackle the bullies.
     
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  19. NelliePledge

    NelliePledge Moderator Staff Member

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    Not the BBC but........oops ........not going there
     
  20. Mithriel

    Mithriel Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Grumpy old b's won't fill out their forms :)
     

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