‘Good vibes only’

Circle of sadness: In Inside Out, protagonist Joy contains Sadness in a circle because she felt that Sadness wasn’t of any use – however, she later finds out how important Sadness really is, something that we all need to do, says the writer. — Pixar

I’VE encountered the phrase in a variety of spaces: on social media, in dating profiles and in therapy conversations. Though in therapy rarely do clients talk about this mindset in a way that’s been helpful to them. Rather, they tend to feel silenced whenever people remind them to have “good vibes only”, realising that less than positive thoughts and emotions are not welcome.

This reminds me of the 2015 Pixar movie Inside Out, where the character Joy contained Sadness in a circle because she felt that Sadness wasn’t of any use. But you could see how important Sadness really is to a person’s mental health.