Let's Play the Glad Game

Have you ever heard someone referred to as a "Pollyanna?" It's intended to be an insult, by the way. Pollyanna, the heroine of a 1913 children's book ,* is determined to see the bright side. She always looks for the good in people and situations. So calling someone a Pollyanna is to say that person is idealistic and naïve, unable to deal with the "real world." The American Heritage dictionary defines "Pollyanna" as "a person regarded as being foolishly or blindly optimistic." * This blog is reader-supported. If you purchase through my links, I may earn a small commission. Pollyanna's cheerful outlook comes from a lifetime of playing the Glad Game with her father, who died before the book opens. The purpose of the Glad Game is to be able to acknowledge something negative and then think of a reason to be thankful in the midst of it. Some have described the Pollyanna outlook as "toxic positivity." They contend that pos