I've published this text several times before—in 2010, 2025, and so on—but given that international corrupt officials and negative state, regional, island, and municipal authorities are pushing us toward a sad, bleak world, devoid of opportunities for young people and the environment in general, whether you've read it before or are currently reading this blog, I'm repeating it, as I will repeat others I deem necessary to help us achieve a positive and happy life, both individually and collectively.
Positive Psychology:
Positive psychology is the psychological discipline that studies the foundations of a person's positive emotions and their strengths.
Positive emotions include personal well-being, happiness, joy, and love.
These are strengths, positive attributes, or aspects of a person—those personal characteristics that facilitate positive interpersonal relationships, whether to improve personal well-being or happiness, or to achieve personal, social, or professional goals, or any other type of goal that is rewarding for both the person who refers us to them and the people to whom we are referred.
Professor Martin Seligman, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and former director of the American Psychological Association (APA), is considered the true representative of this psychological approach, which gained prestige worldwide starting in 1990.
Humanistic psychology can be considered the precursor to positive psychology. Humanistic psychology is that branch of psychology that not only considers the person as the object of its study but also as the beneficiary of it (Carl Rogers: "Client-Centered Psychology and Psychotherapy." Maslow: "Self-Actualization and the Satisfaction of Basic Human Needs"). Maslow criticizes a common approach in psychological and psychiatric research: focusing on deficiencies and pathologies (which entails concentrating on the negative and disintegrating aspects of personality) and, from there, developing the field of psychological knowledge. He argues that psychology should focus on the healthy person (emotionally untroubled). For Maslow, people are inherently good and strive for self-actualization; the problem is that this inherently good human nature and tendency are weak and too often overcome by social pressures.
Returning to positive psychology and its leading figure, Martin Seligman: He dedicated many years to the clinical study of depression, until he decided that psychology could serve a purpose far beyond simply curing illnesses. Psychology should not be solely a clinical tool for healing, but should be applied to people without problems to increase their personal well-being and happiness. According to Seligman, author of "Authentic Happiness" (2002), psychology could help us become happier.
For the first time, neuroscientists, philosophers, psychologists, and Eastern Buddhists are working together in the pursuit of happiness.
Each contributes their knowledge from their perspective and professional field, with different theories and explanations, but with two shared conclusions:
1. Happiness can never be found in the "I," it is always found in the "we."
2. Happiness can be learned.
Furthermore: Happiness is contagious: "If your friend's friend is happy, you are happy." Let's remember the "I'm OK - You're OK" principle: "I'm better when those around me are better," from humanistic psychology.
For Seligman, happiness consists of creating a life that includes enjoyable moments, dedication and commitment to one's work, and a life purpose that transcends oneself.
Seligman has designed a series of exercises that train the capacity to be happy in each of these facets. His method proposes taking the happiness level test, completing the proposed exercises, and then taking the test again to check for progress. It guarantees improvement.
The test is available in Spanish online thanks to Professor Carmel Vázquez, Chair of the Complutense University of Madrid:
Learn more about positive psychology:
You can see the topic of humanistic psychology:
............................................
Positive Psychology Websites:
- Web Happier.com (in English) by Martin Seligman
- Positive psychology website (in Spanish) by Martin Seligman
- Positive psychology website by Beatriz Vera Poseck (in Spanish)
Links of interest:
Psychology Writings
Psychology of Gloria Marsellach
COP / COPIB / AOIB
General Council of Colleges of Psychologists of Spain
Official College of Psychologists of them Balearic Islands
Antoni Ramis Caldentey
Social humanist psychologist
No hay comentarios :
Publicar un comentario