Is it possible to sound too positive?

Yes. See “Sidney” from Grey’s Anatomy for a good example.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJKlY232Y0w&feature=related

Of course she is fictional, but I have met some people like this in real life.

I suppose it depends on your definition of “too much”.

Yes, when it’s not done in an emotionally intelligent way.

Absolutely. At the very least, people who permanently plant themselves over the line of what would be considered normal/average positive behaviour and can be found in a constant state of extreme sanguineness are annoying. For the majority of us who are susceptible to foul moods, have bad days, and are affected by the various lows of life, the always upbeat person may appear to be mocking us, presenting his/herself as better than us, as uncaring and/or minimizing our feelings and struggles, and possibly lead us to feel even worse for not having the same level of apparent strength and optimism.
It is also not healthy to unfailingly view the world through rose coloured glasses. The unfortunate reality is that life deals us shit sometimes. We are built to react to the less than stellar times – break-ups, death of a loved on, goals not reached, bad hair days…. If a person’s mood never crosses over to the side of doom and gloom, they are in denial, suppressing, or have some serious mental health irregularities that need addressing.

Positive people are my kind of people. too positive? never, not unless they are on illegal drugs.

Positive without being overbearing. But then what is considered overbearing.

It comes down to your insecurity saturation point.

Born again Christians and televangelists.

Absolutely, considering that I am overly positive myself. I frequently have small anxiety attacks, which my friends refer to informally as “nervous breakdowns” and because of this I like to make up for it by being very positive about everything. I’m aware that people dislike this, but being less positive makes me prone to existential thoughts, philosophical ponderings and, therefore, anxiety attacks. It especially doesn’t help when teachers put you under double the amount of pressure they do for everyone else simply because you’re so cheery, and it’s absolutely dreadful trying to stay happy when every day you look at the girl you love (not by my own choice, I assure you) and have to acknowledge she’s dating someone else.

…Oh dear, now I’m miserable and nervous again.

Yes. If you sounds too positive/optimistic, you run the risk of being considered naive, as though you either don’t understand or flat out deny the real honest problems that are out there in the world. “What do you think about the economy?” “Oh everything’s going to be super! Just wait and see!”. “Uh, yeah, okay, but what about the unemployment rate and the housing market” “It’ll be fine! We’re all going to be just great, no problem at all!” “But what do you think is the best way to revitalize—-” It doesn’t matter! Everything’s A-Ok!”. Etc. That kind of person would come off like an idiot to my mind.

Sometimes things we write or say sound different from what we really mean. In that sense, we can sound too positive, when really it is only a minuscule glimpse at what we are trying to say.

I think it is hard to be too positive unless, as mentioned you come off as overbearingly positive.

@MrItty

I hear what you are saying but, you know what..there is truth in that persons statements.

Things always do shift…shift happens ( lol ) and there doesn’t always have to be a methodology as this is a fact in the cycles of everything.
The old ’ this too shall pass’ mantra, and it will, whatever it is.

They may not know HOW it will change, but change it will.
So that person would be speaking a positive truth. ;-)

@Coloma “It’s going to be great” is one thing. “There’s no problem at all!” is quite another.

Sure. Everyone tends to hover within a certain emotional range. If someone who has a really upbeat emotional range talks to another person who has a much more negative emotional range that has nothing in common with the first person’s emotional range, the first person will then be understandably accused by the second of speaking in too positive a way. This mismatching of emotional ranges is bidirectional, so it can occur the other way round too, as you’ve seen.

@sandalman

Yes, in other words, positive and negative energy fields are like oil & water.Not a blend for either the oil or the water. lol