FLOURISH

An absolutely seminal book on the field of Positive Psychology. The part that moved me most was PERMA 51, right at the end of the book.

Good Book

very good experience with all products.

Most of the thoughts are based on Prof. Martin Seligman's latest book 'Flourish'. Though I had scheduled to read the book later; I could not resist the temptation. Martin Seligman, who pioneered the positive psychology movement, offers the reader to flourish in life through his theory of 'Well Being' as against 'Happiness'. He develops the theory based on the framework of PERMA (Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationship, Meaning and Accomplishment). ... It's a truly exhilarating experience to go through the book! Seligman takes on a new journey, with his endeavors to reveal the secrets of well being. He talks about his journey leading Positive Psychology movement. The notable experience is about the funding he received by a (then) secretive philanthropic firm. In my view, Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi deserve a Nobel Prize for their study and contributions to the field of Positive Psychology. As I was writing, I could find Seligman's TED talk, please visit the link to know more about him and his study. (I also like to share Duckworth's TED talk. And here is Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's TED talk link too!) Here, I am pleased to share 2 slides from Mihaly's presentation explaining the elements of 'Flow'. In brief, flow is a state of mind, while one experiences greatest pleasure while engaging in an activity. The following representation shows that the flow is a state achieved, while the skills of an individual match the challenge at hand and stretch the skills of the individual to the next level. We can infer that, the individual, with repeated experience of flow, enhances his skills to meet the next level of the challenge/s. Seligman's study on 'Well-Being' includes and goes beyond 'Flow' and his own 'Authentic Happiness' and includes Relations. In effect, the construct of Well-Being, is as follows; Well-Being = Positive Emotions (P) + Engagement (E) + Relations (R) + Meaning (M) + Achievement/Accomplishment (A) = PERMA. As you may note, Well Being takes off from the five elements contributed by various psychologists. Positive emotion (P) is largely associated with general feeling of happiness. Largely, a study of happiness covers this aspect. When we cover Happiness, the positive emotions,- whether transient (like moods) or permanent (general disposition),- are covered. Due to over-usage of the term 'Happiness' Seligman brings in the concept of Well Being. Most of the studies measuring 'Happiness', especially, the ones co-relating wealth and happiness, address only this aspect. Engagement (E), I see this attribute emerges from Flow concept by Mihaly. A strong sense of engagement helps a person to identify and exercise their strengths to find happiness in their lives. Relations (R), Martin Seligman brings this point strongly and rightfully so. He takes up the idea of 'Selfish Gene' proposed by Dawkins and illustrates how organisms which are socially connected or having 'responsible genes' are more successful! We, human beings are social animals. Our positive investments in building relationships contribute in developing strong sense of social well being. In fact, this factor helps us to create a flourishing organization in turn a community, in turn, a better world to live for all of us,. Meaning (M), the meaning is some thing we find in our contribution to achieve a larger purpose. When we contribute to achieve larger purpose in life, a meaning emerges for our existence. A measure of well being should include this attribute, which is being done here. This aspect seems to be based on Viktor Frankl's study on 'meaning of life'. Recently, another book emphasized on this aspect through an example from Viktor Frankl's book 'Man's Search for Meaning'. Achievement or Accomplishment (A), is the 'deliverable'. This, according to Angela Duckworth (one of very well known students of Prof. Seligman) can be represented as follows; Achievement = Talent X Grit. So, the individual leading a flourishing life, exudes positive emotions. In the quest of meaning of life, the person engages in activities matching his skills and abilities. When s/he meets the right challenge, experiences series of 'flow' states of mind. And in the process achieves the pinnacle of success which leads to accomplishment in her/his chosen field. If the person invests on social capital by strengthening the relationships, s/he flourishes in life.

Basado en puras opiniones, nada de evidencia. Su teoría bastante simplista. No recomiendo para nada, aburrido

Amazing book. A bit hard to read at the beginning if you don’t have a scientific background, but as you progress through the book it gets easier. And it’s worth it. The topic of this book and all of the tips & explanations stated in this book are amazing. Would definitely recommend!

The army trains in this and that way.... bla bla bla... enough about how the army trains.

I have read most of Martin Seligman's books, and let me say up front I'm grateful for his work as founder of the positive psychology movement. There is a lot of data that a pessimistic take on events does not make for either physical health or general wellbeing--and these studies are so consistent it is hard to imagine they're all wrong. What if you tend to look a bit too much at the dark side of events? Can you change? The idea is not to become Pollyanna-to-the-point-of-stupidity, of course, but only to cultivate a somewhat sunnier outlook. Well, it turns out you can change, at least to an extent, and Dr. Seligman has pioneered techniques to increase optimism. I've personally found some of the methods he recommends helpful. I particularly like the "three blessings" exercise in which each day one picks out three things that have gone well. This helps shift the mind to a focus on what is good in everyday life. The idea of making a point of using "signature strengths" to cope on a daily basis with life's challenges is also useful. (A quiz to help you identify your strengths is included in this book.) I like the fact that positive psychology is based on empirical studies rather than wishful thinking, and there is data to show its techniques work. This is not a self-help book, however, but more of an account of Dr. Seligman's reconsideration of the ultimate goal of positive psychology. Rather than mere mood enhancement, he sees a different and broader aim--flourishing, which includes having good relationships with others and a generally meaningful life. There is an interesting discussion here of what makes for happiness in the truest sense. Also the book contains a detailed account of Dr. Seligman's pro bono work with the U.S. Army, fostering resilience. (I was moved by his revealing the personal motives--he is the grandson of immigrants lucky to escape the Holocaust--that led him to do this work.) There is abundant material on using positive psychology in corporate or school settings. All to my mind quite fascinating. So, to sum up, there's a lot here about the expanded theory and applying positive psychology in organizations. And it is all interesting and clearly written enough that I read this book eagerly in a couple of sittings. Still, people looking for an introduction to the field of positive psychology and in particular those who want to use its findings to become happier, might prefer Dr, Seligman's earlier book AUTHENTIC HAPPINESS. (FLOURISH does describe many of the same techniques mentioned in AUTHENTIC HAPPINESS but it has a broader focus.) If when I read a psychology book I take away one technique for fostering better relationships--something I didn't know before--I'm thrilled. The information here on how to help people celebrate their wins in life and increase their joy was eye-opening. You say "Of course" when you read this, and then thinking about it, you realize you've learned something new and useful. This is on many levels a great book.

Seligman has an easy conversational style of writing. He doesn't shy away from reporting on research, but does so in an engaging way. Many surprises in this book...you can decide to be happy & really achieve that state of mind & habit. This is a good, informative read...I highly recommend this book.