The Toxic Positivity Trap and a Japanese Alternative
Psychology Today | 31.07.2026 02:39
Every time I hear someone say, "It's all happening for you, not to you," or "Everything happens for a reason," I wince. Maybe you've said these phrases, or had them said to you. Usually well-intentioned, these reassurances become a form of spiritual bypassing where spiritual or positive reframing sidesteps unresolved emotional pain (Welwood, 1984).
