Positive Psychology Debate: Analyzing Academic Sources (APS101 Essay)

This essay critically evaluates the field of positive psychology, examining its advantages and disadvantages through the lens of academic sources. The paper begins by defining positive psychology and its focus on well-being, referencing Seligman's five pillars of well-being and highlighting the benefits such as improved mental and physical health. It then explores the application of positive ideas into practices, emphasizing optimism and self-confidence. However, the essay also presents critical perspectives, discussing concerns about excessive optimism, the limitations of focusing solely on positive interventions, and the potential for neglecting the negative aspects of human experience. The essay analyzes arguments against the field, including the oversimplification of well-being and the potential for elitism within the positive psychology community. The essay concludes by emphasizing the need for a balanced understanding that acknowledges both the positive and negative aspects of human experience, advocating for a more nuanced and holistic approach to the study of well-being.

Running head: POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

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The aim of the paper is to discuss and evaluate the understanding on the issue of
positive psychology. Positive psychology is the branch of study of happiness and the actors
that makes life worth living. According to Seligman, five factors of wellbeing are positive
emotion engagement, relationships, purpose and the accomplishments in life (Seligman
2018). According to the critics of this field, the idea of “positive” has raised number of
questions regarding the positive impacts of positive psychology, however in case of negative
emotions being contradictory to the ideas of positive psychology might come out conducive
to growth. According to the author(Lomas et al. 2016) in determining the positive aspects of
this branch of psychology as the growing demand of second wave of positive psychology,
there is need to understand the advantages of this discourse. According to the research
conducted, positive psychology has number of positive well-being benefits like better
psychical and mental health of the individual. He also argues that the five pillars of positive
psychology, positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishments are
result of individual being in the state of happiness (Seligman 2018). It has been argued that
people who are willing to learn from their mistakes along with helping others are in a state of
happiness. It has been also argued by the scholars that the ideas behind positive psychology
is based on the focus on strength and avoid weakness that can ponder on the positive aspects
of one individual. It has been further argued that positive psychology has the advantages of
experiencing positive emotions like joy, inspiration, love and happiness. It is further
influenced by positive states and traits of the individuals like gratitude, resilience and
compassion (Rashid 2015). Another advantage of positive psychology is reflected in the
application of positive ideas into practices(Seligman 2018). The idea here is based on the
acceptance of optimism, development of positive-esteem and self-confidence fir the well-
being of the individuals. The theory of “learned helplessness” has been on backed by
researches hat discusses the idea that men learn to become helpless and loses control over

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themselves which is why impacted by the process of depression(Seligman 2018). Hence the
theory of positive psychology will be helpful in bringing out the positive attitude in people to
generate the feeling of positive outlook towards their work.
However the idea have been questioned since its inception, it has been argued by the
scholars that the understanding of optimism has been valorised in the understanding of well-
being and denigrating pessimism as one of the factors that might contribute to flourishing
and growth since it has been argued that excessive optimism can be unrealistic for well-being
of the individuals. This is referred as the “slave of optimism’(Lomas 2016). They have
argued that there is a need to develop strategic optimism and limited pessimism since the idea
is to accept the holistic understanding of well-being. It has been further elaborated that the
idea of happiness is problematic due to the fact that pursuit of certain ephemeral goals in life
are one of the flawed understanding of happiness. One of the negative aspects of the
discourse of positive psychology is that the idea of well-being is strictly being attached to the
achievement of certain mundane goals of life (Lomas 2016). However what is lacking here is
that there’s another part of “ psychological well-being” of the individual. There are few
unforeseen pitfalls of such understanding of being happy since it is being limited in nature.
Such discussion about the negative aspects of positive psychology has also triggered number
of questions of psychological discourse. Authors have argued that the ordinary ways of being
has been merely treated as the diseases to the society which raises the question of
formulation of this theory of positive psychology. However what is required here is the fact
the idea of positive well-being of the individual brings in the severe understanding of the
positive and negative dichotomy(Lomas 2016). The representation of certain positive
understanding as desirable and negative as undesirable is the source of the issue. “Negative”
as the “ categorical imperative” is the disadvantage of accepting positive psychology as it is.
Result associated with following the is positive goals in life does not reflect beneficial

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outcome for the individuals (Lomas 2016). Hence there is a need to develop the idea about
the complex process and concepts and processes for the purpose of understanding the
nuances of positive psychology. There is a need to develop the dialectical step of thesis,
antithesis and synthesis for the purpose of finding out the shortcomings of the positive
psychology discourse. Hence the idea is being criticised for being excessively elitist and
scientists(Lomas 2016). Moreover the growing sense of fraternity of publishing the works of
the members of the positive psychology community, have not ethical or scholarly in that
sense. It has been argued by the scholars that Seligman’s and Csikszentmihalyi’s
understanding of humanistic psychology is the representation of the arrogant
scientism(Lomas 2016). This has not only led to the process of further debates in the
academic understanding, it also has triggered the understanding that there is need to develop
the second wave of psychology that is inclusive of both aspects of it. In addition to this, there
have been number of conceptual limitation of the ideas like the focus of the study being
excessively positive and the ignorance towards the negatives aspects of the individual
being(Lomas 2016). The sole representation of the positive interventions as the only
solution to the problems of lives are not the only remedy to the issue, there is a need to
develop the respect for the downside of the human being(Lomas 2016). Cultivating practical
wisdom is indeed one of the crucial aspects of life however it cannot be accepted in the
ground that only the positive interventions and thoughts can bring the positive outcomes in
life.

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Reference
Lomas, T. and Ivtzan, I., 2016. Second wave positive psychology: Exploring the positive–
negative dialectics of wellbeing. Journal of Happiness Studies, 17(4), pp.1753-1768.
Lomas, T., 2016. Positive psychology–the second wave. The Psychologist, 29, pp.536-539.
Rashid, T., 2015. Positive psychotherapy: A strength-based approach. The Journal of Positive
Psychology, 10(1), pp.25-40.
Seligman, M.E., 2018. Positive Psychology: A Personal History. Annual review of clinical
psychology.