The Dangers of Positive Thinking

Study Shows Affirmations Are Harmful to People with Low Self-Esteem

Jun 18, 2009

Millions of people believe in the power of positive thinking to improve life, bring success, prosperity, and happiness. Why don't affirmations work for everyone?

Thousands of people try to use positive thinking, daily affirmations, and gratitude to improve their jobs, finances, relationships, and lives – but not everyone gets stellar results.

A new study claims that positive thinking and affirmations can be dangerous to the people who need them the most: those with poor self-image and low self-esteem.

The Power of Positive Thinking... for Harm?

A new study conducted at the University of Waterloo in Canada tested the effect of positive affirmations on people's self-esteem, and found something shocking: although people with healthy self-esteem showed a boost in their mood and self-esteem after repeating positive affirmations, those with low self-esteem felt worse about themselves.

The study divided a group of 68 people into two: half of the participants were told to write down whatever came into their minds for 4 minutes, while the other half received the same instructions and were also told to think "I am a loveable person" each time a bell was rung – every fifteen seconds. After this four minute period, each person was asked a series of questions designed to measure mood and self-esteem and graded on a scale from 0 to 35.

Lead researcher Joanne Wood, a professor of psychology at the University of Waterloo, says, "It appears that positive self-statements, despite their widespread endorsement, may backfire for the very people who need them the most." She naturally assumes that positive affirmations don't work for people with negative self-image or low self-esteem.

How Positive Affirmations and Resistance Work

Despite this study's apparently groundbreaking conclusion, its results are really nothing new to the experts who teach and practice positive thinking. Louise Hay, one of the first people to talk about positive thinking and daily affirmations, knows that affirmations don't necessarily yield the desired results within minutes – or even days.

Hay calls it "resistance" – the inner response of someone with low self-esteem who feels worse after saying a positive affirmation. This kind of response is completely normal. At first, it won't feel right to say "I am a lovable person" if there's an inner mental voice that argues otherwise. But over time, and by fine-tuning the positive affirmations that are being used, it is possible to see positive results.

One potentially problematic element of this study is that it only observes the immediate effect of an affirmation and does not consider the long-term results.

Consider a hypothetical study on exercise that subjects a group of people to one session of mild to moderate activity. Participants who are already fit will feel happy and energized – but those who are out of shape and don't normally have much activity in their daily habits will feel tired, sore, and weak. Now imagine this study concluding that exercise must be bad for people who are out of shape.

It is undeniable that people who habitually think positively about themselves are more prosperous and successful than those with low self-esteem – countless studies have shown that rich, happy, successful people think highly of themselves and believe success to be possible even in the face of failure. That belief enables them to keep trying and thinking creatively until they find an approach that works.

It's not that affirmations are "unhealthy" or even ineffective for people with low self-esteem – it's simply a question of training and exercising the mind to think positive thoughts without getting "sore".

There's no doubt that someone who is out of shape will get tired after exercise – and thinking "I am a lovable person" can only be distressing for someone who doesn't believe it. Positive thinking means re-training the mind into habits that are healthy. It's not a one-time quick fix, and any study that only considers the immediate impact of affirmations is certain to find that exercise is exhausting if you're in the habit of sitting on the couch and thinking thoughts of gloom and doom.

The copyright of the article The Dangers of Positive Thinking in Changing Personal Habits is owned by Victoria Anisman-Reiner. Permission to republish The Dangers of Positive Thinking in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Jul 16, 2009 5:26 PM

Guest :

This article makes me want to read the direct findings of the study and the methods that were used. How did they determine which of the 68 people, which they divided in half, had low or high self-esteem? Is 68 people a good enough sample? Were they all Canadian? All of these factors are suspect to me in making such a huge assumption. With that said, I do see how those with low self-esteem would be reluctant to believe what they are telling themselves...they already don't think much of their own opinion so what good does telling yourself things you don't belive do...they need someone else to tell them. It is depressing that the people that need it the most are hurt by it, at least according to this study.