According to positive psychology, to be happy and healthy we should be kind, caring, forgiving, gracious, compassionate, upbeat, and optimistic. Researchers Jim McNulty and Frank Fincham contend that, “psychological traits and processes are not inherently positive or negative; instead, whether psychological characteristics promote or undermine well-being depends on the context in which they operate.” For example, being kind and caring is a good thing, as long as the person you are kind and caring towards deserves your kindness. The article suggests we need to stop assuming that kindness is always beneficial, and dig deeper to figure out when, for whom, and to what extent kindness actually leads to happiness and health.I don't know that kindness is ever a bad quality to have. What I like about this article, however, is that it emphasizes the role of context in our emotional lives. I often work with people who feel that they need to be forgiving of people who have harmed them. They often put pressure on themselves to forgive before they feel ready to do it or before the person who has harmed them has expressed remorse. I also work with people who put enormous pressure on themselves to be positive and optimistic when they're feeling anxious or depressed. I think the findings of this article can help to free people from putting pressure on themselves to feel emotions that they don't feel and to accept the feelings they actually have. If you're feeling bad already, it's not helpful to feel that there's something wrong with you because you're not feeling better.Read the full article here: When Good Is Bad And Bad Is Good: Beyond “Positive” Psychology