We Need To Talk About. . . Toxic Positivity

The host of SBS’ Insight on why we need to get more comfortable with discomfort

I can’t think of one example to share with you, so I will share a few. Isolated, they might seem insignificant, but collectively they bruise. Take the time I told a close friend I was really struggling during a particularly lost period in life and he told me that “things could be worse”.

Or, the time – rather, times – I was told to go back to where I came from. Despite being born in Australia and not having anywhere to “go back to”. Whenever I have shared these moments with others, responses can range from telling me to laugh it off, to get a thicker skin, to that anyone who says that is just ignorant, so ignore them. In theory, all that advice makes sense. But it’s never helped. It’s only made me feel more isolated and alone.