Martin E.P. Seligman, Ph.D. AUTHENTIC HAPPINESS Anne Rapley, EADM 826, Sept. 11, 2020 Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment What is Positive Psychology? Positive Emotions: “So Positive Psychology is Pillars of Positive Psychology -joy about the meaning of those -flow happy and unhappy Study of Study of Study of -glee moments, the tapestry they Positive Positive Positive -pleasure weave, and the strengths Emotion Traits Institutions -contentent and virtues they display that -serenity make up the quality of your -hope Examples: Examples: Examples: life” (Seligman, 2002, p. 7). confidence, intelligence, democracy, -ecstasy hope, trust athleticism strong families In this Issue: What is Pos. Psychology? …… page 1 About the Author ……………….. page 1 About the Research Background………….page 2 What is a Meaningful Life?.....page 2 Happiness Equation……..……..page 2 Author Signature Strengths………..…..page 3 Positive Emotions…………....….page 4 He is the recipient of Increasing Happiness…..….….page 5 Dr. Martin E. P. His areas of study several lifetime Mansions of Life: Work………..page 6 Selignman is a include positive achievement awards, Mansions of Life: Parenting…page 7 Professor of psychology, learned and has published Psychology at the helplessness, over 20 books and Mansions of Life: Love……..…page 8 University of optimism, 170 articles, Discussion Questions………….page 9 Pennsylvania and the depression, and including the Book Summary…………………page 9 director of the ethnopolitical national bestseller Critical Evaluation……………page 9 Positive Psychology conflict. Learned Optimism. Network. Page 1 Anne Rapley, EADM 826, Sept. 11, 2020 AUTHENTIC HAPPINESS “Authentic happiness comes from identifying and cultivating your most fundamental strengths and using them every day in work, love, play, and parenting” (Seligman, 2002, p. xi) Why do we Research have positive Background emotions in the first place? Studies have shown that happy people live longer, After World War II, there Dr. Martin Seligman’s are more productive at was a need for more learned helplessness work, endure pain therapists for veterans research showed that 1/3 better, have more of a returning from the war. of dogs never gave up in social life, and are more Psychologists largely filled situations where they had altruistic (Seligman, this role. There was also a no control over what 2002, p. 39-42). “By change of funding research happened to them, and activating an expansive, to focus more on mental 1/8 of the dogs were tolerant, and creative illness. This led to a helpless to begin with. mindset, positive disease model of This led the researchers feelings maximize the remedying deficits. In to ask what buffering social, intellectual, and recent years, there has strengths certain animals physical benefits that been more of a focus on possessed and whether will accrue” (Seligman, increasing people’s these strengths could be 2002, p. 44). strengths. increased? What is the Meaningful Life? The Pleasant Life: The Good Life: The Meaningful Life: -pursuit of postive -using signature strengths to achieve -using signature strengths for some feelings (momentary states) gratification larger purpose -shortcuts to happiness: -what is gratification? Meeting a All 3 lives = A full life eg. chocolate, drugs, challenge by calling on your shopping strengths; to rise to the occasion -inauthentic THE HAPPINESS EQUATION H = S + C+ V H = Enduring C = Life circumstances happiness V = Factors under S = Set range voluntary control Continues on P3 Page 2 AUTHENTIC HAPPINESS Anne Rapley, EADM 826, Sept. 11, 2020 24 Strengths What are Virtues: What are your virtues? • Wisdom & Curiosity knowledge signature stengths? Virtues are • Courage Love of Learning common to many • Love & religions and humanity Ingenuity philosophical • Justice Take the strengths test at traditions • Temperance Social Intelligence • Spirituality & www.authentichappiness.org transcendence Perspective Valor Perseverance Integrity “Building strengths and virtue is not about learning, training, or conditioning, Kindness but about discovery, creation, and ownership” Loving Dr. Martin Seligman, p. 136 Citizenship The routes to “The Fairness these virtues are Mansions of called strengths Strengths: Signature Leadership (which are Life” to use Strengths: measurable and your -traits Self-control -deeply acquirable). -valued in its own signature characteristic of a Prudence Strengths are strengths in: right moral traits and person Humility -states we desire can be built. • Work -a person self- that require no Appreciation of Talents (eg. consciously owns, • Love further perfect pitch, celebrates, uses Beauty • Parenting justification running speed) everyday Gratitude are nonmoral -others are -build on these to and are more elevated and Hope achieve deepest innate. inspired emotional Spirituality -supported in satisfaction culture by Forgiveness -feel invigorated institutions, etc. Humour rather than drained when Zest using signature strengths “….formulation of the good life: using your signature strengths every day in the main realms of your life to bring abundant gratification and authentic happiness” (Seligman, 2002, p. 161). Page 3 Anne Rapley, EADM 826, Sept. 11, 2020 AUTHENTIC HAPPINESS Positive Emotions About About About What the Past: the the determines how Present: Future: happy we are? Depression -joy -satisfaction -optimism • The Happiness Rates in -contentment -ecstasy -hope -calm Thermostat – personal wealthy -fulfillment -faith set range for happiness, -zest -pride -trust mostly inherited nations -ebullience -serenity • The Hedonic Treadmill have been -pleasure – get used to good increasing -flow things in life and come to expect more over the • Having more negative past 40 emotions doesn’t years. We necessarily mean you’ll have less positive have created emotions (not polar more opposite relation) shortcuts to • Women found to have both more positive and pleasure negative emotions than (T.V., drugs, men (Seligman, 2002, p. 57) etc.). Self- • Increased age not absorption related to less is a happiness, but less intense emotions symptom of overall depression. • Happier people are more social Does Money Buy You • Being married is related to happiness Happiness?? (but could it be that The answer seems to be no! happier people are more likely to get “In very poor nations, where poverty married?) threatens life itself, being rich does predict • Subjective perception greater well-being. In wealthier nations, of how healthy you are however, where almost everyone has a basic is related to happiness safety net, increases in wealth have • Education, climate, negligible effects on personal happiness” race, gender all not related to level of -Dr. Martin Seligman, 2002, p. 53 happiness • Religious people somewhat happier than nonreligious people Page 4 AUTHENTIC HAPPINESS Anne Rapley, EADM 826, Sept. 11, 2020 Ways to Feel Ways to More Happiness Feel More Increasing about the Past: Happiness -Increase your gratitude about about the good things in your past Present: Happiness -Forgive past transgressions -Breaking -Escaping tyranny of habituation (space determinism (let go of idea that out pleasures over your past determines your time more, so don’t future) get used to them) -Savoring (deliberate conscious attention paid to pleasures, sharing with others, memory building, self-congratulation, sharpening perceptions, absorption) -Mindfulness (shifting perspective to see situation as fresh, slow state of mind, origins in Buddhism) Ways to Feel More Happiness about the Future: -Increasing hope and optimism through disputing (arguing with yourself) -Learning to argue with yourself: evidence, alternatives, implications (decatastrophizing), usefulness -Optimism: Optimistic person sees bad events as temporary and specific / good events as permanent and universal. Pessimistic person sees bad events as permanent and universal / good events as temporary and specific. -Hope: “Finding permanent and universal causes of good events along with temporary and specific causes for misfortune is the art of hope” (Seligman, 2002, p. 92) Increasing Optimism & Hope A – Adversity B – Belief automatically occurring C – Usual consequences D – Disputation of belief E – Energization occurring from successfully disputing Page 5 Anne Rapley, EADM 826, Sept. 11, 2020 AUTHENTIC HAPPINESS The Mansions of Life - Work Money now matters less than life satisfaction (beyond the safety net, more money adds little to well-being) Job – do for a paycheck Career – personal investment in the work Calling – passionate commitment to work for its own sake Any job can be a What is flow? calling, and any calling can be a job. Flow – positive emotions Ways to increase your satisfaction at about the present; time stops work: when you are doing -use signature something you really enjoy; strengths everyday often with the absence of -see one’s work as emotion at the time; no contributing to conscious feeling attached greater good -having flow at work -recraft your job to use your signature “Gratification dispels self- strengths more and absorption and the more one experience flow more has the flow that gratification often produces, the less depressed on is” (Seligman, 2002, p. 119) Page 6 AUTHENTIC HAPPINESS Anne Rapley, EADM 826, Sept. 11, 2020 “….positive The Mansions of emotion Love: Parenting leads to exploration, Techniques for building positive emotions: which leads to mastery, -sleeping with -sibling rivalry and mastery your baby