Article: Always look on the glum side of life! Positive thinking? It's positively bad for you, says a new book. And VIRGINIA IRONSIDE is happy to hear it ...(Features)

Byline: by Virginia Ironside

THERE'S an ad for Volkswagen being shown in cinemas at the moment. A goodlooking man is driving an elegant car; in the background the soundtrack plays a song saying: 'With positive thinking, life won't let you down.' Harmless enough, you may think, but what makes the advertisement suddenly sickening is when the car passes a load of sheep on their way to the abattoir -- they are all nodding their heads cheerfully in time to the music.

Yes, I know it's a joke, but there is still the implication that if you look on the bright side you, too, will be able to have a glamorous VW like the man in the ad, and, even if you're on your ...

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