What is Positive Psychology?

The most basic assumption of positive psychology is that human goodness and excellence are as authentic as disease, disorder, and distress. The concerns of positive psychology include three related topics: the study of positive subjective experiences (happiness, pleasure, gratification, fulfillment, well-being), the study of positive individual traits (character, talents, interests, values) that enable positive experiences, and the study of institutions (families, schools, businesses, communities, societies) that enable positive traits and thereby positive experiences.  The Values in Action (VIA) Classification of Strengths is the first major scientific project deliberately undertaken from the perspective of positive psychology.

Positive psychology calls for as much focus on strength as on weakness, as much interest in building the best things in life as in repairing the worst, and as much attention to fulfilling the lives of healthy people as to healing the wounds of the distressed.

What is Authentic Happiness?

Dr. Martin Seligman, the father of Positive Psychology, coined the term authentic happiness to describe happiness that is more enduring and stable as opposed to happy moments that come and go.  Authentic happiness is not a constant state of bliss, but instead represents an overall summary of life satisfaction and well-being.

The three main ingredients of authentic happiness are: pleasure, engagement, and meaning.  Pleasurable feelings can occur in the present, such as listening to good music.  They can occur with regard to the past as one recalls pleasant memories.  And, pleasant feelings can occur in thinking about the future.  Although pleasure is an important ingredient to happiness, it plays a less important role than most people think.

Research shows that engagement and meaning are more important ingredients in the recipe for happiness.  Engagement refers to when we are involved in activities that absorb our attention and interest.  When we are engaged, time tends to disappear and things about us tend to recede into the background.  We feel fully focused.  Meaningful activities are those that are engaging but also serve others…or serve a higher purpose than our self-gratification.

So, when you chase a better job to make more money so that you can have a bigger house, better car, better vacations, etc., are you on the road to happiness?  Research says “No.”  After someone has enough money or resources to obtain food and a reasonably safe environment, more money does not add significant amounts of happiness.  Overall, rich people and poor people are not very different when it comes to their degree of happiness.  And, it seems that having good relationships matter a lot more than how smart someone is or how much he or she has achieved.

As it turns out, according to positive psychology, happiness has much more to do with living true to yourself – your interests, talents, values, and strengths of character.