With Ed Wohlmuth

“…On the shoulders of giants”

Presentation adapted and inspired by the writings of Martin Seligman, Tal Ben Shahar, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Barbara Fredrickson, Jonathan Haidt, Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow, William Glasser, Dan Gilbert, and others.

Our JourneyIs this class another thing to do or your

chance to tip the scales on happiness?Our challenge and Opportunity: winter

and waning energyKnowledge, application, assessment

Bridging the ivory tower and main street

Rigor of academe

The Road to Positive Psychology• Humanistic Psychology (50’s)

(The Third Force)– Reaction to behaviorism

(First Force)– Reaction to psychoanalysis

(Second Force)• Lacked rigorous methodology Abraham Maslow

April 1, 1908 – June 8, 1970 (62)

Carl RogersJan.8, 1902 – Feb. 4, 1987 (85)

Martin Seligman Ellen Langer

The Scientific Study of Optimal Human Functioning

– M Seligman

The Road to Positive Psychology

Positive institutions: love relationship, family, school work, community

Positive subjective experiencesPleasure, enjoyment, happy, fulfilled

Positive Traits: Character, virtues, talents, interests, values

Why Positive Psychology?1. Balancing attention

between disorder research and wellness research

2. Happiness is not the negation of unhappiness

3. Cultivating capacity-positive emotion and relationships

• Anger: 5,584• Anxiety: 41,416• Depression: 54,040

Psychological Abstracts (1967-2000)

• Joy: 415• Happiness: 1,710• Life satisfaction: 2,582

Hell at Hogwarts: 80% of Students at Harvard experiencing depression, 94%

debilitating stress

Why Positive Psychology?

Depression 10 times higher today than 1960

Mean age for depression today is

14.5 (compared to 29.5 in 1960)

Why Positive Psychology?

Scope of Psychology

Focus on weaknesses

Overcoming deficiencies

Avoiding pain

Running from unhappiness

Neutral state (0) as ceiling

Tensionless as ideal

neurosis, anger, anxiety, wellbeing, satisfaction, joydepression, psychosis excitement, happiness

Disease Model Health Model-_______________________ 0 ____________________ +

Focus on strengths

Building competencies

Seeking pleasure

Pursuing happiness

No ceiling

Creative tension as ideal