The Upside of Your Dark Side: Why Being Your Whole Self--Not Just Your "Good" Self--Drives Success and Fulfillment

About this book

In The Upside of Your Dark Side two pioneering researchers in the field of psychology show that while mindfulness kindness and positivity can take us far they cannot take us all the way. Sometimes they can even hold us back. Emotions such as anger anxiety guilt and sadness might feel uncomfortable but it turns out that they are also incredibly useful. For instance: Anger fuels creativity Guilt sparks improvement Self-doubt enhances performance In the same vein we can become wiser and more effective when we harness the darker parts of our personality in certain situations. For instance: Selfishness increases courage Mindlessness leads to better decisions The key lies in what the authors call emotional social and mental agility the ability to access our full range of emotions and behaviornot just the good onesin order to respond most effectively to whatever situation we might encounter. Drawing on years of scientific research and a wide array of real-life examples including sports the military parenting education romance business and more The Upside of Your Dark Side is a refreshing reality check that shows us how we can truly maximize our potential. With an appreciation of our entire psychological toolkit we become wholewhich allows us to climb the highest peaks and handle the deepest valleys.