Toxic positivity is a refusal to sit with emotions and understand what’s happening and how it happened. I think the healthiest way to operate in a world that’s so fucked up, is to be able to see the brighter side. But that’s only after acknowledging the darkness. Society makes it seem like it’s one or the other, there’s no in between. But that’s where life is truly lived, in that gray area. We have a society that is so far off balance, so skewed in the divisive binary thinking we are taught from an early age, people are truly mentally enslaved by the false American dream. No EVERYONE cannot make it. They use exceptions to make the rules in order to do exactly what you said, invalidate the struggles of so many Americans. As a black person, it makes me tremendously sad when fellow black people do this. You do need a boot strap mentality at some level, because you need to believe in yourself and your ability to succeed, but I think that you can realize that you are a victim of this evil society, call attention to it, and still do your best to live your life happily. The media machine is churning at high volume and they don’t care of its killing the people as long as they’re able to line their pockets.

It’s sad to be on Instagram and see how many people just…. Bow down to consumerism and champion narcissism because that’s what American culture teaches. It doesn’t teach a sense of community. And it certainly doesn’t teach to hold these robber barons and predatory corporate capitalists accountable. It teaches you that is the epitome of success.