Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding Of Happiness And Well-Being By Martin Seligman

By Ben Nadel on June 27, 2011

As a therapist, Martin Seligman (former president of the American Psychological Association - APA) discovered something very interesting: if you remove the unhappiness from a patient, you don't get a happy patient; rather, you get an empty patient. This is a huge cause for concern because psychology has, for a long time, focused primarily on removing unhappiness (the traditional Disease Model of treatment). To address this problem, Martin Seligman founded the Positive Psychology movement. As outlined in his book, Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being, Seligman believes that true well-being emerges not only from the removal of unhappiness; but, from the enhancement of five elements of well-being: P.E.R.M.A.

Happiness is a "concept." It is a state of being defined by other things. As such, it is nice to talk about, but somewhat useless when it comes to measurements and actions. We don't obtain happiness; rather, we seek the elements that allow happiness to ensue. And, according to Martin Seligman, the five key elements behind happiness and well-being are P.E.R.M.A:

• Positive emotions
• Engagement
• Relationships
• Meaning
• Achievement

The more we nurture these five elements, the more fulfilled our lives will be. And, what's important to understand is that these five elements work in fluid conjunction with each other. While some elements appear to carry more weight, this means that different individuals can find different paths to happiness; a person who spends their life highly engaged can feel just as much happiness as a person who believes that their life has a higher meaning and purpose.

While I found some of this book a bit tedious to get through, I was a big fan of a few of the exercises that Seligman discussed:

• What Went Well: At the end of the day, write down three things that went well during the day. Also discuss why those things happened and how they can happen more often.
• Active and Constructive Responding: When someone tells you something positive about their own life, respond in a way that gets them to relive that positive moment with you.
• Gratitude Letter: Think of someone who has improved your life and then write them a letter of thanks. This letter can then be read out loud to said person.

Each of these exercises is meant to enhance the various elements of P.E.R.M.A., and therefore well-being. And, as Seligman discusses in the book, these exercises can be even be highly effective in the treatment of depression.

One other thing that I found hugely fascinating was that in a review of many longitudinal health studies, Optimism appears to be the most consistent predicator of mortality. Now, that's not to say that health is irrelevant; rather, it just means that true optimism and feelings of well-being have a more consistent effect on mortality than any other indicator.

If any of this seems interesting, you might want to check out Martin Seligman's TED Talk on Positive Psychology. I got this book after being intrigued by his presentation:

I think one of the best take-aways from this book is the codification of happiness in terms of the five basic elements of well-being. Too often, we talk about happiness purely as a concept; and I believe this leaves many people still confused about what to do and how to get there. By looking at P.E.R.M.A. as the building blocks, we can give people a concrete model - a tangible way to think about their own flourishing.

@myHFjourney

Book Review: Flourish by Martin Seligman

Post by Scott Crabtree

Martin Seligman helped launch positive psychology. In Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being, he redefines it. The book is important, and strongly recommended for anyone interested in deeply understanding positive psychology. That said, it is not a self-help book, and may not be terribly useful to the average person who wants to be flourishing more in life!

For years, positive psychology was essentially equated to the science of happiness. Scientists have always preferred the term “subjective well-being” to get at the fact that it’s positive emotions but also life satisfaction. Seligman extends that definition using the acronym PERMA:

Positive emotion
Engagement
Relationships
Meaning and purpose in life
Accomplishment
Like any good mental model, I find this one useful and, at the same time, incomplete. Are these really the key components to flourishing in life? What about health? But despite PERMA’s imperfections, it’s a memorable way to extend our concept of positive psychology. It’s not just about happiness, it’s really about thriving in life.

Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being is an important contribution to an important field. It describes the work that Seligman has led with the US Army’s resilience program, the Master of Applied Positive Psychology program that he leads at the University of Pennsylvania, and more. If you are intrigued by the history and future of positive psychology, I highly recommend Flourish. If you want practical suggestions for being happier at work and in life, I think you can do better with other books.

@myHFjourney

Flourish A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being By Martin E. P. Seligman

“This book will help you flourish.” Review by Simon and Schuster.


With this unprecedented promise, internationally esteemed psychologist Martin Seligman begins Flourish, his first book in ten years—and the first to present his dynamic new concept of what well-being really is. Traditionally, the goal of psychology has been to relieve human suffering, but the goal of the Positive Psychology movement, which Dr. Seligman has led for fifteen years, is different—it’s about actually raising the bar for the human condition. 

Flourish builds on Dr. Seligman’s game-changing work on optimism, motivation, and character to show how to get the most out of life, unveiling an electrifying new theory of what makes a good life—for individuals, for communities, and for nations. In a fascinating evolution of thought and practice, Flourish refines what Positive Psychology is all about. 

While certainly a part of well-being, happiness alone doesn’t give life meaning. Seligman now asks, What is it that enables you to cultivate your talents, to build deep, lasting relationships with others, to feel pleasure, and to contribute meaningfully to the world? In a word, what is it that allows you to flourish? “Well-being” takes the stage front and center, and Happiness (or Positive Emotion) becomes one of the five pillars of Positive Psychology, along with Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment—orPERMA, the permanent building blocks for a life of profound fulfillment. 

Thought-provoking in its implications for education, economics, therapy, medicine, and public policy—the very fabric of society—Flourish tells inspiring stories of Positive Psychology in action, including how the entire U.S. Army is now trained in emotional resilience; how innovative schools can educate for fulfillment in life and not just for workplace success; and how corporations can improve performance at the same time as they raise employee well-being. 

With interactive exercises to help readers explore their own attitudes and aims, Flourish is a watershed in the understanding of happiness as well as a tool for getting the most out of life. On the cutting edge of a science that has changed millions of lives, Dr. Seligman now creates the ultimate extension and capstone of his bestselling classics, Authentic Happiness and Learned Optimism.

@myHFjourney

BOOK REVIEW: FLOURISH BY SELIGMAN

Guest post by Connie Davis

In my continuing quest to understand human behavior, I’ve become interested in positive psychology.  It started when a classmate of my daughter’s posted this video to Facebook.  It introduced me to two very interesting things.  TED and Positive Psychology, both of which are worth exploring.

Martin Seligman had the same idea as the MacArthur Foundation’s Successful Aging project: instead of studying the problems, let’s study what is working and see if you can teach that to others.  Flourish is Seligman’s update to his first book, Authentic Happiness.  His idea has grown from promoting happiness to helping people flourish.  I’ve also been reading about strengths based therapeutic approaches, a familiar concept in geriatrics, where it is thought of in a more functional way..

Here is a brief tour of the book.  The first chapter describes well-being and its growth from Seligman’s original ideas about happiness.  Readers are introduced to techniques that are used to create happiness, such as the gratitude visit, what-went-well and understanding personal strengths.  (my top three are Curiosity and Intellect, Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence and Love of Learning.  Sounds spot on.  Among my lowest strengths are Caution/Prudence/Discretion (yes, I do go hiking alone and sometimes make decisions too fast), and Citizenship/Teamwork/Loyalty (hence the recent purchase of two books on teamwork and two community meetings to volunteer for local causes).

The book goes on to cover the effectiveness of medications for mood and then begins a tour of ways to apply positive psychology.  Education, the Army and physical health are covered.  Of course one of my interests is in physical health but I see the possibility of introducing positive psychology in education and hope that these approaches may be an antidote to historical trauma and adverse childhood events.    The book closes with a chapter of the politics and economics of well-being.

I’ve signed up for studies through the U Penn program and read the research with interest.  As I was reading Flourish, I completed some of the questionnaires and exercises to improve well-being.  I haven’t quite developed some of the techniques into habits, but I see potential.

I’m very curious about positive psychology in health care and hope to learn more!

@MyHFjourney

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Flourish book by Martin Seligman

 

On my nightstand is another great book written by the iconic Martin Seligman, founder of positive psychology. I'll be reviewing the book in the next couple of posts. Below is the review online:

AZ: Seligman, a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania and the guru of the "positive psychology" movement, abandons his previous emphasis on happiness, which he now views as simplistic, to examine how individuals might achieve a richer, multilayered goal: a life of well-being. He identifies four factors that can help individuals thrive: positive emotion, engagement with what one is doing, a sense of accomplishment, and good relationships. Those expecting a guide on how to achieve these goals will be disappointed; Seligman's approach is largely conceptual and empirical, although he has some useful things to say, such as how even soldiers with PTSD can be taught resilience to recover and even grow from their traumas, and how students of all ages can be taught focus, delayed gratification, and GRIT, a combination of drive and perseverance. But Seligman includes too much on the mechanics of conducting his studies. Also, he can be self-congratulatory regarding his own theory, and harsh and reductionist on traditional treatments ("psychology-as-usual—the psychology of victims and negative emotions and alienation and pathology and tragedy"). This is a potentially important book whose impact may be limited by its flaws

Goodreads: “This book will help you flourish.” With this unprecedented promise, internationally esteemed psychologist Martin Seligman begins Flourish, his first book in ten years—and the first to present his dynamic new concept of what well-being really is. Traditionally, the goal of psychology has been to relieve human suffering, but the goal of the Positive Psychology movement, which Dr. Seligman has led for fifteen years, is different—it’s about actually raising the bar for the human condition. Flourish builds on Dr. Seligman’s game-changing work on optimism, motivation, and character to show how to get the most out of life, unveiling an electrifying new theory of what makes a good life—for individuals, for communities, and for nations. In a fascinating evolution of thought and practice, Flourish refines what Positive Psychology is all about. While certainly a part of well-being, happiness alone doesn’t give life meaning. Seligman now asks, What is it that enables you to cultivate your talents, to build deep, lasting relationships with others, to feel pleasure, and to contribute meaningfully to the world? In a word, what is it that allows you to flourish? “Well-being” takes the stage front and center, and Happiness (or Positive Emotion) becomes one of the five pillars of Positive Psychology, along with Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment—or PERMA, the permanent building blocks for a life of profound fulfillment. Thought-provoking in its implications for education, economics, therapy, medicine, and public policy—the very fabric of society—Flourish tells inspiring stories of Positive Psychology in action, including how the entire U.S. Army is now trained in emotional resilience; how innovative schools can educate for fulfillment in life and not just for workplace success; and how corporations can improve performance at the same time as they raise employee well-being. With interactive exercises to help readers explore their own attitudes and aims, Flourish is a watershed in the understanding of happiness as well as a tool for getting the most out of life. On the cutting edge of a science that has changed millions of lives, Dr. Seligman now creates the ultimate extension and capstone of his bestselling classics, Authentic Happiness and Learned Optimism

Great read, no?

@myHFjourney

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Summer and fitness photo blog

Is it just me but is it a little easier to workout while on vacation? Working out while on vacation may just be a hike/walk/jog/swim/bike ride and so on.

Is it that we are away from our usual distractions and have no avoidance?

Is it that often we are in a swim suit and it reminds us of our fitness?

Is it that we often workout in a couple or family, since we often vacation with others?

Perhaps it is that we often buy or pack our meals and we ration meals out and have minimal snacks? Are we reminded that we eat too much when we have to pay/pack every meal?

Are we relaxed and intuitively know that we need to take care of ourselves and our bodies?

Is there nothing else to do but enjoy the physical activity and often outdoors? Are we too stuck inside our houses during the year and need to enjoy ourselves outdoors?

We don't often see physical activity as a chore on vacation, why is that?

Perhaps we need to incorporate some of the vacation habits during the year too.

Enjoy your vacation and make the most of physical activity.

If you find the answer to why we workout more during vacation, please let me know so I can incorporate during the year too.

@myHFjourney.blogspot.com

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