The Upside of Your Dark Side

"NF : The authors Todd Kashdan and Robert Biswas-Diener are both positive psychologists. Positive psychology is the scientific study of human strengths, but in this book they demonstrate that negative emotions were naturally selected for because they do have value, they help individuals to cope and thrive. They suggest that the optimal ratio for positive to negative emotions is 80:20. This is a really unique book that challenges students to look at negative emotions in a different light. Obviously, an anxiety disorder is not helpful for anyone, but the authors argue that anxiety can be an alert or warning that can keep you safe. The authors discuss guilt as a motivator for growth and improvement. Fear protects you, causes you to slow down and be more cautious. Selfishness can lead to bravery. So, there are positive things that come out of negative emotions. Support Five Books Five Books interviews are expensive to produce. If you're enjoying this interview, please support us by donating a small amount . NF: Students are going to experience stress. Teens experience stress, adults experience stress. The book discusses cognitive restructuring, or how the act of reframing how we think about stress can help us understand and accept and deal with negative emotions. Teachers can help students to understand how cognitive restructuring can help individuals reframe their interpretation of stress to create more positive outcomes. The positive psychology movement is important because we don’t want psychology to be only the study of mental illness and problems. We want to study human strengths but we need to have this balance. I think this is a really readable book, and it includes some great studies that maybe students preparing for a science fair could look into replicating. It exposes students to biological psychology, evolutionary psychology, theories of motivation and emotion. There is quite a bit of high interest material in this book that builds on what we would love to teach in class but often do not have time for. NF : I would. I would. I think that it’s important for them to think about how feelings of self-doubt and anger in small doses can be useful, and help improve your life. And that it’s just a part of life: there will be frustration and negative emotions. The way we interpret and respond to our emotions is important."