Online ESL Discussion Worksheet: The Harm of Positive Thinking

Level: Advanced (B2-C1); Intermediate (B1)

Type: Conversation Tool; Discussion Worksheet

How can positive thinking be harmful to our happiness? Today you and your students will be talking about redefining our concepts of happiness with Derren Brown. He postulates that today’s “Think positive” attitude isn’t always so good and that the stoics may have some lessons from antiquity we can apply still today.

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If you like warmers (it’s basically my favorite part of the lesson), you could ask your students to define the following words (in their own words):

Happiness
Positivity
Optimism
Pessimism
Failure

Start by distributing the PDF to your students and follow the directions on the PDF.

The video: https://youtu.be/qr5_wQrW8CMM

Reviews

dorgiz – October 24, 2022

I can’t find the pdf for this lesson:)
- Ian Kime – October 24, 2022
  
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Ian Kime

I have been teaching English abroad since receiving my CELTA certificate in Poland in 2018. I enjoy tracking my individual students’ development but love having lessons with big groups! Now that I teach online, I am accompanied by my sidekicks Olaf, Mała, Pirate and Bandit on a regular basis.

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