Paper Review: The Negative Side of Positive Psychology. B. S. Held 2004
In 2004, psychologist Barbara S. Held published a provocative and influential paper titled "The Negative Side of Positive Psychology" in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology. This article served as a thoughtful critique of the rapidly growing field of positive psychology, which, at the time, had gained significant momentum under the leadership of Martin Seligman and colleagues. Held’s paper did not dismiss the field outright but instead provided a nuanced challenge to some of its core assumptions, encouraging scholars and practitioners to reflect on the broader implications of the "positivity movement."
What Is Positive Psychology?
Positive psychology emerged in the late 1990s as a shift from traditional psychology’s focus on pathology and dysfunction. Spearheaded by Martin Seligman, it emphasized the scientific study of happiness, well-being, optimism, personal strengths, and human flourishing. The movement sought to create a more balanced psychological approach by highlighting the positive dimensions of human experience.
While many hailed this as a necessary correction to a historically negative bias in clinical psychology, Held’s critique reminded the academic community that an exclusive focus on positivity may create new problems.
Held’s Core Criticisms of Positive Psychology
Held’s article highlighted several key concerns about the trajectory and assumptions of positive psychology. These concerns include:
1. Neglect of Suffering and Negative Emotions
One of Held’s primary arguments was that positive psychology risks ignoring or invalidating the darker aspects of life, such as pain, suffering, grief, fear, and anger. She warned that the field’s strong focus on cultivating positive emotions could inadvertently contribute to the marginalization of negative experiences, even though these are an inherent part of being human.
"Suffering is not always a problem to be solved; it is sometimes a truth to be honored." – B. S. Held
By promoting an overly cheerful outlook, practitioners might risk silencing or stigmatizing those who struggle or who do not respond well to standard positive interventions.
2. One-Size-Fits-All Happiness Models
Held also criticized the tendency of positive psychology to promote universal formulas for happiness or well-being, such as gratitude journaling or strengths-based coaching. While these techniques may help some individuals, they are not universally effective.
She argued that individual differences, life circumstances, cultural values, and personal histories play significant roles in how people pursue and experience well-being. Imposing a singular happiness model can thus feel reductive or even harmful.
3. The Tyranny of the Positive Attitude
Perhaps the most socially resonant critique Held raised was the idea that positive psychology can fuel a "tyranny of positivity." When positivity becomes a cultural norm or moral imperative, people who are sad, anxious, grieving, or struggling may feel ashamed or inadequate.
This pressure to be happy can be especially damaging in clinical settings or self-help culture, where well-being is framed as a personal choice, leading to blame or self-criticism if one does not achieve it. In this way, Held warned that positive psychology may unintentionally mirror the very pathologizing it was designed to counter.
A Call for Balance and Integration
Importantly, Held did not argue against the value of positive psychology itself. She acknowledged that the field had made valuable contributions to psychology by challenging its traditional deficit-oriented approach. However, she strongly advocated for a more integrative and dialectical approach—one that recognizes both light and shadow in the human experience.
Held’s vision aligns with ideas from humanistic psychology, existentialism, and clinical practice, where authentic well-being is not the absence of suffering but the capacity to face it with courage and resilience. A complete understanding of mental health requires attention to the full spectrum of human emotion.
Impact on the Field
"The Negative Side of Positive Psychology" has had a lasting impact. It sparked critical discussions within psychology about the importance of emotional complexity, cultural humility, and individual variability. Many contemporary researchers now adopt a more balanced view, recognizing the importance of negative emotions in growth, meaning-making, and resilience.
This paper also helped pave the way for newer frameworks like:
Second-wave positive psychology (PP 2.0), which explicitly embraces the integration of positive and negative experiences
Existential positive psychology, emphasizing the human capacity to grow through suffering
Trauma-informed approaches, which center pain and adversity as part of healing
Simply Put
Barbara S. Held’s 2004 critique of positive psychology was a timely and essential reminder that well-being is not just about positivity. By pointing out the risks of ignoring pain, the dangers of prescriptive happiness, and the cultural pressures to be upbeat, Held encouraged the field to take a more inclusive and realistic approach.
True psychological flourishing requires embracing the whole human experience—the joyful, the painful, and everything in between.
