When a family member or friend is feeling down, our natural instinct is often to try to cheer them up — offer them an encouraging word, or relate a story about how whatever is ailing them could be worse. But it turns out that approach can do more harm than good.
There’s even a term for it: toxic positivity.
Sarah Tracy is a Professor of Human Communication at ASU and Director of the Transformation Project there. She joined The Show to define toxic positivity and explain what we can really do to help.
