Is Positive Thinking Destroying America?
Over the past decade, we’ve seen positive thinking employed in various ways: to stir American nationalism during wartime, to perpetuate free market economies despite signs of an imminent market crash, to encourage people to reject victimhood in the face of staggering financial setbacks. In her latest book, “Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America” (Metropolitan Books, $23), author Barbara Ehrenreich connects the dots and shows the damaging effects of positive thinking on American life. A social critic and author of many books (“Nickel and Dimed,” “Bait and Switch,” “Dancing in the Streets”), Ehrenreich spoke recently about her new book in advance of her Oct. 21 book talk at the Seattle Public Library. Q: In “Bright-Sided,” you trace the existence of positive thinking to religion, business, politics, the economy and more. What role has positive thinking played in shaping American institutions? A: I would say it’s so pervasive that it’s almo
