PacificNic on Nostr: I love the term "toxic positivity" because it puts a name to something I've struggled ...

I love the term "toxic positivity" because it puts a name to something I've struggled with my whole life. North American culture ABSOLUTELY has a problem with this.

I have met so few people who actually know how to listen to and comfort someone experiencing pain, loss, grief, etc. We aren't taught how to do this. We just want the sadness to go away.

Telling someone everything is okay when you know it's not, for them, is isolating. It's not just bad for the person who is experiencing pain. It's bad for the listener, too.

You can't have deep, genuine, compassionate relationships with someone if you can't sit in their sadness with them. Real relationships need sharing. Vulnerability is critical to forming something meaningful. You don't get that by pretending everything is always fine.