Page 10 - English12 | Activity Book 5

Reading Activity

A Have you ever heard the term 'toxic positivity' ? Read the text and get information.

‘Toxic positivity’: The importance of living with negative emotions

It is almost impossible to see quotes or comments accompanied with motivational sentences such as,
“Every cloud has a silver lining,” “Focus on the good things,” or “When life gives you lemons, make
lemonade.” on social media platforms. These words may seem comforting, but they also highlight an
aspect that can be more harmful than helpful: toxic positivity
5 What is toxic positivity? Toxic positivity means rejecting negative emotions and responding to distress
with false reassurances rather than empathy. It occurs as a result of feeling uncomfortable with negative
emotions and is generally well-intentioned, but can cause alienation and a feeling of disconnection.
When people talk about what they are feeling, their main aim is often to validate their emotions and
accept the emotional experience. On the contrary, emotional invalidation includes paying no attention,
denying, criticizing or refusing another person’s feelings. For example, maybe your friend is telling you
how scared, worried and uncertain he/she is about the future. This is hard to hear for you, so instead of
listening, you try to reassure him/her that everything will be OK. This attitude may misrepresent you to
others, making you seem hard to connect with or even a bit fake. There are several studies looking at
the effects of emotional invalidation. The results are clear: it is very harmful to mental health. People

15 experiencing emotional invalidation are more likely to have depressive symptoms. Sometimes, it’s
normal not to want to deal with your negative emotions. But, if you’re regularly forcing a positive
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attitude on yourself although your feelings are the opposite, it can damage and spoil your mental
health. On the other hand, the more psychological flexibility people have, the more they can live with
their emotions and get through difficult situations. For example, after a breakup, a young man feels
anger, unhappiness and confusion. His friend listens to him and validates him. Then, the man normalizes
his conflicting feelings and understands that they will not last forever.
It’s important not to put more positive emotions over negative ones first. Don’t forget that your negative
feelings won’t go away unless you eventually deal with them. So, admit them, try to understand where
they are coming from, and think about what you can do to send them away. All emotions teach you useful

25 information about how you are doing in the world, and all are equally valid. Stop toxic positivity by clearing
up what you want from your conversation partner. Let yourself feel your feelings, and let others share theirs
without needing to fix them.

ORTAÖĞRETİM 10 ENGLISH-11
GENEL MÜDÜRLÜĞÜ