Conventional wisdom suggests that positive thinking is healthy and productive. But could it also backfire? Yes, argues Gabriele Oettingen, professor of psychology at New York University and the University of Hamburg, and author of Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation.

While positive thinking can make us feel better in the short term, it may induce us to relax prematurely and prevent us from connecting with obstacles that stand in our way. Indeed, Oettingen’s studies, conducted over the span of two decades, found a consistent link between positive thinking and poor performance.

Read today’s nugget, published by Aeon, to learn how, specifically, excessive positive thinking can come back to bite you in the long run, and what mental strategy you should adopt instead!