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14.9.12

Feel Good Fridays


 Today marks the first of a series I'm starting called "Feel Good Fridays."  This blog is meant for me to share and express my findings and thoughts about happiness, on a personal level but also from a scientific perspective.  Often the terms "happiness" or "self-help" leave a bad taste--one in which involves an uneducated, non-researched opinion on "how to get happy."  I have found that there are experiments in happiness that are backed with extensive follow up.
These experiments are part of the one of the youngest branches of psychology called "Positive Psychology."  This is a psychology that focuses on how to make the well mind better instead of the typical how to fix the unwell mind.
The father of it all is Martin Seligman, Ph.D.  For those of you with some general psychology background, Seligman actually gained his fame and reputability from his studies on learned helplessness.  It was after these studies, Seligman started to switch his focus to the opposite end of learned helplessness...learned optimism and its affects on achievements, health, and overall thinking.
I recently began reading his book "Learned Optimisim."  And so I begin this series with the quote Seligman begins his book.

"yes is a world
& in this world of
yes live
(skilfully curled)
all worlds"
 e.e. cummings

3 comments:

  1. i think this is a great way to end the week with a happiness post!! good way to ride into the weekend

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    Replies
    1. Yah I think so too! It'll be a good way to start the weekend on a positive note

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  2. I love the idea of learned optimism. Gotta think positive.

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