Worklife with Adam Grant
Overcoming toxic positivity with Susan David
Jan 23, 2024
In this discussion, Susan David, a Harvard Medical School psychologist and emotional agility expert, dives into the pitfalls of toxic positivity. She reveals that it’s crucial to acknowledge, rather than suppress, our emotions for genuine well-being. The conversation touches on how embracing difficult feelings can lead to personal growth. David also explains the significance of guilt as an emotional signal and the importance of navigating compassion fatigue. Ultimately, she encourages listeners to reclaim their emotional agency and view feelings as valuable insights.
36:11
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Quick takeaways
- Suppressing or ignoring negative emotions can lead to a lack of wisdom and learning, as well as hinder meaningful conversations and understanding shared values.
- Understanding guilt and its underlying message can help us navigate our emotions with greater wisdom and align our actions with our values.
Deep dives
The Importance of Emotional Skills
Emotional skills have historically been denigrated as soft skills and pushed aside. This has led to a lack of emphasis on teaching emotional skills in schools. However, emotional skills are essential for navigating a changing world and adapting to different situations. Emotion suppression and brooding are two ineffective strategies for managing unpleasant emotions. Emotion suppression involves bottling emotions and viewing them as negative, while brooding involves being consumed by difficult emotions without effectively dealing with them. Both strategies can have negative long-term impacts on well-being and relationships.
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