Happiness, life satisfaction, fulfillment and meaning in life

Answers you can trust based on scientific research


People pursue all kinds of things - money, relationships, power, social status, knowledge, skills - but ultimately the reason they do is because they believe it will bring them greater happiness and meaning. Money, for example, is normally just a means to an end. So being happy is the real goal underlying what we do in life, even if we're not always fully aware of it. That's why Harvard psychology professor Tal Ben-Shahar calls happiness the "ultimate currency."

How you go after things like the ones listed above can make a big difference. There's plenty of advice out there on these pursuits, and about other ways to make your life better. But how do you know which advice is good?

Can science tell us anything about the meaning of life, or how to find happiness? There's been a surge of interest recently among some research psychologists in "positive psychology" - not just finding out what's wrong with people but what's right with them. They've been investigating questions like:

  • What are the characteristics of life satisfaction, and what leads to it?
  • Is happiness just a string of pleasurable events, or is there something deeper?
  • What kinds of happiness are there, and how do we get them?
  • Does tapping into personal strengths and virtues lead to greater engagement in one's activities?
  • How can we find more meaning in life, in the work we do, or in the things we do for enjoyment?
This site will show you how you can apply what they've found. We'll be talking about the topics above, as well as the impact of relationships, community, attitudes and values, cognitive aspects, emotions, outlook on life, belief systems, spirituality, religions, cultural factors, health, finance, economics, and a whole range of other factors. Dr. Wright will tell you what he thinks, and he'll tell you what other psychologists who are doing cutting edge research in this area think. He hopes the discussion will help you create more meaningful and happier life, work, and play.



Check back soon. Dr. Wright will be starting his blog a few days from now. You can be one of the first to check it out, and make comments.







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Written by admin on August 25th, 2008

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