It's a Positive Matter

 IT'S A POSITIVE MATTER

A recent piece in the Newton Daily News extolled the benefits of "positive thinking", or in current context, "positive control of thoughts" or "positive mindset", all of which appear to denote the same idea.  When I encounter this type of material, my thoughts automatically go back to the days of "self-esteem".  

If one recollects, it was extremely important for one to not only have "self-esteem", but to increase "self-esteem" in oneself and to develop it in others.  One could only describe the whole concept of "self-esteem" as a contagion infecting the whole of society with special effects on Departments of Human Services who closely monitored the homes of those with inadequate income or of those using illegal substances in which poor "self-esteem"  was clearly the cause.

The contagion moved on, as most contagions do.   The "power of positive thinking" also has a long history.  Many books have been published on the subject and again the whole idea advanced broadly.  One was absolutely required to be positive in one's thoughts, or to think positively, or to act positively, or some such thing.  The lack of "positive thinking" has many of the same aspects as the lack of "self-esteem" both of which can be the source of inadequate income and the use of illegal substances among many other deficiencies.

Both of these ideas have been around a really long time and never to my knowledge have actually been established as anything other than motivational spectacle. Both "self-esteem" and "positive thinking", having now been given economic value, apparently makes them necessary for a successful life here in the modern world. The article recently published extolling its positiveness lists the benefits as (1) helps overcome obstacles, (2) helps motivation, and (3) prevents giving up.

One could not describe the reason for a war dance before battle any better than for the increase of self-esteem and positive thinking when they help overcome obstacles, increase motivation, and prevent giving up. When an effort is about to be made to pillage a neighboring village and kidnap a few women if possible these attributes come in handy.  It helps to think not only highly of your own abilities but the lack of those same abilities in the denizens of the neighboring village about to be pillaged.

So in closing, I must confess both "positive thinking" and "self-esteem" are anything but new, having a really long history dating back to premodern times which shows the  current thinking on the subject is anything but revolutionary or novel and hasn't changed much.  

Richard E H Phelps II

Mingo