Rethinking Positive Thinking

The “Cult of Optimism”

Books like The Secret and contestants’ attitudes on reality competition shows like American Idol reflect a common worldview – that imagining your “deepest wishes” makes them more likely to come true. This reflects a larger cult of optimism pervading contemporary culture. Pop culture champions “dreaming and dreamers,” and politicians all tout the “American Dream,” which promises success to everyone. These beliefs rest on the premise that thinking positively and focusing on the future can carry you through a tough today and garner superior results tomorrow. Considering the strength of these sunny beliefs and how common they are, especially in the West, you may wonder if they are true and what effect they have on people’s lives.

Past studies of optimism suggested it is usually well founded. Martin Seligman, who started “the positive psychology movement,” argued that people are likely to base their optimistic beliefs about the future “on past experiences of success.” In this model, optimism is simply logical. Those who have performed well in one area expect to keep succeeding. However, some people visualize successful futures without...