200
W
hile experimental
psychology after World
War II became deeply
concerned with the cognitive
processes of the brain, clinical
psychology continued to examine
ways to treat disorders such as
depression and anxiety. The newcognitive therapies still focused
largely on alleviating unhappy
conditions rather than on creating
and promoting happier ones.
Martin Seligman, whose theory of
“learned helplessness” (the spiral of
acquiring pessimistic attitudes in
illnesses such as depression) hadIN CONTEXT
APPROACH
Positive psychologyBEFORE
1950s Carl Rogers develops
the concept and practice of
“client-centered” therapy.1954 Abraham Maslow uses
the term “positive psychology”
for the first time, in his book
Motivation and Personality.1960s Aaron Beck exposes
the weaknesses of traditional
psychoanalytical therapy, and
proposes cognitive therapy.AFTER
1990 Mihály Csíkszentmihályi
publishes Flow: The Psychology
of Optimal Experience, based
on his research into the links
between meaningful, engaging
activity and happiness.1994 Jon Kabat-Zinn’s
Wherever You Go, There You
Are introduces the idea of
“mindfulness meditation” to
cope with stress, anxiety,
pain, and illness.HAPPY PEOPLE
ARE EXTREMELY
SOCIAL
MARTIN SELIGMAN (1942– )
The Pleasant
Life—socializing
and seeking
pleasure.Social relationships
do not guarantee
high happiness,
but it does not appear
to occur without them.The Meaningful
Life—acting
in the service of
something greater
than yourself.These bring lasting
happiness, but this
happiness cannot be
achieved without
social relationships.There are three kinds of happy life.The Good
Life—pursuing
personal growth and
achieving “flow.”