Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being - Essay Example

? Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being (19.09.11) In his book Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness andWell-being, Dr. Martin Seligman commences with reviews of why it is important to shift from authentic happiness to well-being. Although the author does not compromise on authentic happiness, he has argued that while happiness is an important perception, thoughts of well-being involve a number of aspects other than happiness. He begins in saying that, "This book will help you flourish" (Seligman, 2011, p.1), and in supporting his viewpoint in the entire book, he uses "careful science: statistical tests, validated questionnaires, thoroughly research exercises, and large, representative samples" (Seligman, 2001, p.1). He continues in saying, "In contrast to pop psychology and the bulk of self-improvement, my writings are believable because of the underlying science" (Seligman, 2001, p.1). It is evident that the content of Seligman’s book comprises of happiness, flow, meaning, love, gratitude, accomplishment, growth and better relationships, which in itself comprises of human flourishing. It is thus important to learn how one can get more of these things in order to change life for the better. The very act of having a glimpse of a flourishing human nature has the potential to bring positive life changes in human beings. Chapter 1 of the book deals with What is Wellbeing and the reader realizes that people often choose things that make them feel good but the author argues that choices are not made by people for the sake of what they will feel by making these choices. For instance, a father chooses to watch his little son play football not because it makes him feel good but for the reason that performing a father’s duty gives his life meaning. Seligman holds that the theory of happiness can be understood from three different perceptions that people choose in keeping with their thought processes and aspirations: Positive emotion Engagement Meaning All these three elements can be defined in better ways and can be measured more accurately than happiness. Positive emotion refers to what people feel in terms of comfort, excitement, pleasure, delight etc. The author explains that a life that is successfully led in keeping with this element can be called a pleasant life. The second perception pertains to engagement, which means the flow of life by way of losing self consciousness while absorbed in interesting activities. Seligman refers to such a life as the engaged life. He cautions that engagement is distinct from positive emotions because people involved in a flow will always say that they are thinking and feeling nothing. An individual engrossed in flow will become a part of the object. The concentration and attention required by flow exhausts all emotional and cognitive sources that comprise of feelings and thoughts. The reader understands that there are no short cuts to flow and that it is required to make use of one’s maximum strength and talent to cope with the world of flow. At the same time, there are short cuts to feel positive emotions without making much effort and this comprises of the disparity amongst positive emotions and engagement. In order to go into flow, it is important to identify one’s highest strengths and to use them frequently. The perception of happiness is relative to a one dimensional theory and is more about feeling good in terms of the claims that people choose their life course in attempts to maximize how they feel. On the other hand, wellbeing theory deals with the five pillars of positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning and purpose and accomplishments. Any of the above elements do not individually define wellbeing although each contributes to it. Meaning is the third element of happiness, which implies that, pursuing pleasure and engagement are often solitary efforts because humans inevitably seek purpose and meaning in life. A life full of meaning entails working towards something that is believed to be larger than the self. In fact, humanity facilitates the creation of positive institutions such as family, political parties and religions. The second chapter is about Creating Your Happiness: Positive Psychology Exercises That Work. The author assesses the strength in positive psychotherapy and in techniques relative to delivering essential elements such as trust, empathy, warmth, rapport and authenticity. The author convincingly discusses how symptoms of depression can explain lack of well being in terms of lack of positive emotion, engagement and meaning in life. In his book Seligman has depicted a test of positive psychotherapy that he conducted amongst people suffering from depression. The test reduced symptoms of depression more efficiently than usual treatments and drugs. Seligman believes in the power of positive psychotherapy although the concept is only in the beginning stage of application. The systems and duration of exercises have to be synchronized with reaction of clients. I fully agree with Seligman that although happiness is an important perception, thoughts of wellbeing involve a number of aspects other than happiness. No doubt, happiness is the focus of positive psychology and is described by measuring the extent of life satisfaction. Happiness comprises of three basic elements; positive emotion, engagement and meaning; all of them delving into life satisfaction that is evaluated through subjective reports. In happiness theory, virtues such as integrity, courage, humor, social intelligence and kindness are considered to be supportive of engagement and meaning. An individual enters the stage of flow when he or she deploys the highest possible challenges. The two chapters are a true beginning on the path of positive psychology. In having expanded his happiness model to the new concept of well being by imbibing the constructs of positive emotion, engagement, positive relationships, meaning and accomplishments, the author has connected his theory to authentic happiness. In having reviewed the simple strategies to improve well being, he has suggested techniques through exercises in chapter 2 that are very helpful in increasing happiness and reducing depression in a short period of time. Seligman’s explanations are appealing and although they are lengthy and tedious at times, it is a pleasure gaining knowledge about positive emotion, engagement and meaning in life, which are all applicable in the lives of each one of us. Works Cited Seligman, Martin. Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being, Free Press, 2011. Read More