The state of the world is a present test for our mental health. Even when your personal life may be in shambles, the news shows things can always get worse from the oppression of women in Afghanistan to the displacement of people in Congo or the increasing climate crisis. In addition, as you grow older, things you took for granted in your childhood are now more difficult. It’s harder to make and maintain friends. Finding free time to relax is harder because you must constantly be working. Society seems to be changing in a way that reduces imagination and wonder. But amid all the drudgery and tragedy, there’s a way to remain hopeful. It’s known as tragic optimism.
Understanding tragic optimism
This is the belief that there is meaning even amid tragedies. The phrase was coined by Austrian Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl. In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, he wrote about how searching for meaning helped those who were in the camps. Frankl stated that suffering is an essential part of a meaningful existence. Because of this, you should still face negative emotions and experiences rather than avoiding them.
Some people conflate tragic optimism with toxic positivity. Tragic optimism means having a significant attitude adjustment when facing the worst of life. Positive thinking in the face of the worst doesn’t change things. According to The Atlantic, it’s more likely to backfire. Trying to reduce the impact of tragedies by morphing your thinking into positive affirmations doesn’t work. Eventually, you resort to despair and feel like your thoughts aren’t changing your circumstances.
Dr. Frankl observed that human tragedy is experienced threefold—pain, guilt, and loss. Through tragic optimism, you don’t have to force yourself to remain happy. You find purpose and foothold through anger, sadness, hopelessness, fear, or loss. Having emotional flexibility makes it easier to adjust to tougher times and rebuild your future after a tragedy.
Tragic optimism is also an antidote to excessive pessimism. It’s easy to fall into a state of perma-despair where you feel apathetic towards everything. At this point, you feel there is no need to change things in your life. Excessive pessimism is corrosive and makes it easy to give up on your fellow man. It can easily lead to unkindness and destructive behaviours that are more harmful, and make it even more difficult to recover from. This creates a feedback loop, a cycle whereby your inaction is informed by a lack of change.
In a New York Times op-ed, tragic optimism means having wise hope and performing wise action. For instance, looking at your life and figuring out what you need to be grateful for is a great first step to tragic optimism. It also means avoiding a cycle of self-righteousness, boredom, or reliving every negative thing in your life. The unpredictable nature of life’s curveballs isn’t a conspiracy to keep you down. Suffering is inevitable and the only healthy response is to get through it without losing yourself.
It’s healthy to find distractions when you need a break from life. It’s also fine to find joy when you’re feeling low to keep your spirits up. However, this can’t be your way of life to avoid facing your problems. Remaining optimistic in tough times requires some practical steps that mean you don’t lose your future.
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How to practice tragic optimism
1. Find community
Even if you’re an introvert, shy, or socially anxious, find a way to talk with people. Whether it’s your family, friends, or even the local neighbourhood shopkeepers. Remaining connected with the people around you helps reduce the risk of cynicism. Being around people who find joy in the same things you do helps you remain optimistic for the future. As a result, you’re less likely to despair for your future and instead work towards preserving this present joy.
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2. Seek wonder and fulfilment, not happiness
When you pursue happiness as a goal, it sets you up to fail. You can’t control how things unfold and your emotional responses can vary. Every time you feel unhappy, you count that as a failure on your end. Instead, focus on your goals and see happiness as a coincidence. Wonder also keeps you curious which directly increases optimism. Mental Wellness: How Play Can Help Adults Find Joy
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3. Be kind
Being kind to others helps you focus more on the world. Find ways to volunteer outside of your world. In addition to reducing your neighbours’ burdens increases joy for you. Giving compliments to strangers, coworkers or anyone in your surroundings also helps boost positivity.
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4. Engage your physical skills
Whether you’re doing exercise, learning a craft, or indulging in a hobby where you learn things anew engages your mind. In addition, it helps if you have something physical to look forward to. When you can track your physical progress in something, you can remain hopeful.
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5. Stay conscious
Being aware and staying present helps you keep track of your life. It helps you remain focused on what’s important rather than getting overwhelmed with tragedy. Practising mindfulness, meditation, or journalling keeps you in touch with your present. This ensures you don’t get caught up in nostalgia or wishful thinking about the future. It also helps you remain grateful for the strides you’ve taken. These exercises also help you take stock of what you need to do and how you can do it practically, who you need to ask for help, and where you need to be present.
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Keep these practices consistent and your life will seem less bleak regardless of the circumstances you’re in. It helps you remain vigilant rather than succumbing to avoidance. Tragic optimism also helps you remain authentic to yourself and helps you remain realistic rather than delusional or defeatist.
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