Barbara Ehrenreich on Optimism

[@randomguy19954]

Brilliant talk with lots of wisdom. I'm going to read her book after watching this. RIP Barbara

[@kauaiskeptic]

Positive thinking & the "law of attraction" is nothing short of denial under the guise of spirituality. All human emotions are very natural and necessary. To deny such emotions is unhealthy, imbalanced, and damaging in many ways. Remember what Barbara says -which she stresses VERY clearly here: She is NOT promoting negativity, and makes it clear that chronic negativity is yet another delusional state of thinking as well. REALISM is what she is promoting. It is so incredibly simple and I am baffled why anyone would take offense to it. Dr. Ehrenreich is a very bold woman to speak out on this topic in today's environment. I will gladly stand along her side in all the issues she addresses in her career. She is a brilliant woman & a wonderful author.

[@Diamond_tip]

But she’s an atheist lol they all have that same stubbornness. She’s better at describing how morbid she is and this day and time with all the positivity that’s sorta a novelty. Let people enjoy things

[@zacoolm]

@@Diamond_tip as a Marxist atheism is very secondary her true belief is dialectical or historical materialism. A scientific view of life

[@malleusmaleficarum8429]

Thank you, Barbara Ehrenreich, for being sane!! At 20:40, I think you just turned the whole system inside out! Way to go!

[@MrApw2011]

We've taken this concept so far that we don't even want to give each other time to grieve. My daughter had a classmate who would soon become her step brother. His mother died of breast cancer before they became a blended family. The day after his mother died, he was at school which surprised me. My daughter said that when she asked him how he was, all he would say was, "always look on the bright side of life." Why do we want to deny all the parts of us that make the others of us have to be there for each other?

[@fminter]

31:01 - And they say: "but I'm doing my best to staying positive", and I wanna shake them and say: "don't bother! why not to accept that you've been victimized by forces that are beyond your control? and allow yourself to feel anger - If a single person in my life had told exactly this... but is not just anger, you are not even allowed to feel anguish or pain.

[@1234tomh]

Right on!! I totally agree with what Ms. Ehrenreich is saying. Too many corporations have these unrealistic expectations for these workers (in terms of both attitudes and duties) and take way too much advantage of both people and the "right to work"/"at will" policy in most states which gives companies leeway to fire people for ANY reason (for the majority of employees do not sign an employment contract).

[@Belzedar]

Maybe it's because I've just watched an episode of TBBT featuring Professor Proton, but as I watched this I couldn't escape the image of Bob Newhart delivering it. I think it was Barbara's tremulous smile when she said 'I'm not against having a nice day.' I'm loving this - and I've an attention span of... ooh, there's a website

[@badvibezm7925]

its funny how society is like one big magnet. u got ur negative side and your positive side,. (and for the simpletons, negative people who respond to nagitivity, and realistic peaceful people who respond to positivity)💫🌟

[@eakherenow]

Absolutely brilliant reasoning.

[@kengilliland727]

Dig, cancer DID save my life ! let me explain; I was on the Liver Transplant list in Philadelphia for 2.5 years (thought I was going to die waiting) but then my Liver Cirrhosis developed into Liver Cancer, which then moved me to the second from the top of the list, and then I got a liver transplant within 3 weeks.

[@robertle3038]

I like her soothing voice, it's like binaural beats.

[@DeborahLArmstrong]

Thank you for this!

[@LottLottie]

"Delusion is always dangerous"

[@nerdycats]

This woman is my HERO :D

[@reidwhitton6248]

I've noticed since Covid, Jan. 6th, more intense weather catastrophes, war in Ukraine, mass shootings every week, that the people working at the store check outs aren't regurgitating the "have a nice day" slogan as much as they used to.

[@andrewschultz6608]

I find it interesting how this lecture intersects with Carol Dweck's lecture (to me) to echo the video on melancholy. Perhaps all we need to do is figure what needs to be done and go do it. And the only faith we need or can have is that we can start to get a handle on the big things without a smooth talking charlatan giving us "help," or feeling we need it.

[@JvMatt]

I feel sorry for the delusional people who only think positive thoughts and suppress the negative cause that's not how it goes. Positive thinking has in fact a positive outcome if you will also accept the negative and try not to pretend that it doesn't exist. Positive thinking is a way-forward mindset (let's cure this disease, let's find a new job, let's help others find a new job, let's spread the message of how I cured my disease, always a thinker). It's a powerful mindset that helps the world make a better place. But when somebody is with a delusional positive mind, that's called ignorance and that's what I think Barbara is talking about. Being ignorant is being dumb and only thinking about yourself. Remember, if somebody condemns you for not being positive, then that person is definitely not positive himself and definitely an ignorant one, or a salesperson or a delusional politician or a power hungry bankster.

[@bennguyen1313]

Regarding if one's attitude has any influence on biology (8m), doesn't the fact that a placebo/nocebo works even at all, suggest there's some connection? There is a great book by Jo Marchant that talks about many of the incredible findings in placebo studies. Also, isn't the field of epigenetics, as most notably explained by Dr. Bruce Lipton, suggest that thoughts and beliefs also play a role in the expression of genes. Finally, in a recent Dr. Ruscio podcast, they talk about the correlation between how we think (purpose/loneliness) and the effect on biology (telomeres, colds, etc). Regarding how delusions are always dangerous (24m15s), Dan Ariely (author of Predictably Irrational), frames the idea in terms of morality.. i.e. if you know giving someone the truth about an inevitable event, will cause them to suffer more leading up to the event, is it better to lie? Sam Harris, author of the great book Lying, would probably agree with Barbara! Regarding the Tsunami example (30m), I wonder if this just an example of a bug in our primitive minds that always looks for meaning, especially cause and effect, in order to derive some sense of control over it. The alternative, that in many cases we have no control, is a tough pill to swallow, especially in a death-phobic culture as Stephen Jenkinson explains.

[@stephenpowstinger733]

Miscellaneous notes. 1. Towards end she gets into religion, here evangelicals and how some churches have no crosses etc. Thus we have two types of churches. 2. Then she talks about the positive thinking business environment. This was 2013 - when memories of the 2007-2008 mortgage and banking meltdown were fresh. We seem to forget that. 3. “Life is Good” signs and stuff. 4. Comes back to the business employee imposition of required optimism. 5. “Who moved my cheese” is about getting used to layoffs. It is to squeeze more out of the survivors. 6. Always comes back to her breast cancer experience. 7. These damn motivational speakers who influence business managers. Prohibitions include asking too many questions.

[@reidwhitton6248]

You didn't mention the highly toxic pesticides sprayed on our food supply in America. Many of these chemicals are banned in Europe. And all the toxic run off into our ground water. But it's our fault if we don't have a positive attitude about getting cancer.

[@Hijodeganas1]

I'm ambivalent about whether to like or dislike this video. On the one hand, I appreciate that see is shining the spotlight on some of the more exorbitant claims that positive thinking and LOA camps are making, but I think she paints too broad a brush: there is notable (and empirical) evidence that optimism and thinking positively significantly improves one's health and social situation. In essence, this talk could have used more nuance, but then again, nuance does not a bestselling book make.

[@threadbearr8866]

Let's play a game: Show me a actual study proving positivity helps a person's health or wellbeing and I'll try to debunk it. We'll continue until one of us is unable to continue. If someone else wants to join they're free to. Sound good?

[@Hijodeganas1]

Sure. Here you go: pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d2b3/5a6122bcd228d2a9fe2a834ccce25ac9e34b.pdf Enjoy.

[@stephenpowstinger733]

Currently I am investigating optimism, and those similar ideas

[@Hijodeganas1]

@@threadbearr8866 Looks like I won.

[@curiousone6435]

@@Hijodeganas1 But did you "win?" Is the world "winning" right now? Where did all the positive gaslighting.. I mean, whoops "positive thinking" get us? You are an ostrich. That's a failure to yourself and to the world at large. Maybe if people could be more realistic, we could respond more intelligently than sugarcoating a troubled world on the precipice of utter failure and dressing that up with superior moralism and cattle-prodding others into agreeing with you.

[@DJSTOEK]

🖤

[@MusicOrLoseItTV]

KZbin search: Barbara Ehrenreich On Marriage Equality & 2-Party System

[@naturalisted1714]

Free will is an illusion.

[@thegladiator4489]

To me.. Negativity is good and economically up-sizing, and negativity heals faster. only-positivity make you more poorer that is for sure. It is part of a function. for example it is like your car's left wheel. you need both sides of wheels, left and right, not left or right. you cannot eliminate other wheel.

[@Stella1112]

My goodness! I am getting out of here. Negativity is not my thing. I want to say a lot more but because I respect people's opinion I will not comment I will just leave this page. Not for me!

[@Zleaper]

Is that a joke? She's not talking about negativity, she is talking about socialization. Also, saying 'I will not comment' in a comment is an oxymoron :p

[@TheParadox_]

Negativity is not my thing. I want to say a lot more but because I respect people's opinion I will not comment on your comment.

[@calum66]

Have you listened to the whole thing ? She is not saying you should be negative , she is saying it is dangerous to be delusional. We need courage , fortitude , faith , commitment and compassion - not friggin Walt Disney.

[@badvibezm7925]

Stella R Negativity attracts negativity. Today's society is an exhibit, as it (human society) are proned to judgements and critisisms. You know what it means to live in peace.

[@2bsirius]

Know the risk and fight anyway.

[@Diamond_tip]

She’s an atheist that explains everything she’s saying. I think her delivery makes her trying to be funny because theirs people who relate to her or whatever but I think her point of view is very testosterone driven ahha

[@dalenorman9052]

In the days of Global Warming positive thinking, wishful thinking, denial and shit for brains are all the same thing. In the days of Global Warming, pessimism and depression are indications of intelligence, until it is too late to do anything, then any form of escapism is justifiable. The British, Oxford educated, humorist, John Cleese (Monty Python), threatened to title his memoirs “Why There is No Hope, and Nothing Really Matter Anymore,” because with a title like that he would be assured of selling none: nobody wants to hear about it. Don't forget, without the popularity of a positive view of the future the world economy would crash in a minute. Next to overpopulation, nothing is better for the economy (the source of Global Warming) than a positive outlook. Those who think the economy is the most important thing need you to stay positive, fun-loving, child-like and adverse to critical thinking.

[@PK-re3lu]

Great comment!

[@flipflop391]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@TheParadox_]

34:08 Evoking feminist dogma does a disservice to such an interesting discussion.

[@kauaiskeptic]

What feminist dogma??? I listened to this lecture twice and I did not get the sense of any feminist dogma at all. Considering you are referencing a point (34:08) in this video which is only 34:07 in length, I have to assume you are hallucinating.

[@TheParadox_]

…5:19 rather

[@kauaiskeptic]

The Parodox That is not feminist dogma. It's just how things are in reality. Not about women against men, but just how we are treated quite differently for the very same illness. It's a rational and true observation. Nothing more or less. Please keep things in perspective.

[@TheParadox_]

kauaiskeptic *That is not feminist dogma.* -The statement made is that it _evokes_ feminist dogma. Not that it _is_ feminist dogma. Please read more carefully. *"…just how we are treated quite differently for the very same illness."* -Prostate cancer and breast cancer are not "the very same illness" and btw. men also get breast cancer.

[@thegladiator4489]

only-positivism totally economic downsizing ideology to me...

[@seriousoldman8997]

The Secret caused the crash 2008.

[@MyMaya55]

Dr Zach bush….