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.
by Dr. Steve Wright
I received the following email today (below), and thought people interested in positive psychology might want to know about it if they don’t already. I was involved in a professional development course led by Martin Seligman before the MAPP degree began, and I found him to be an outstandingly engaging speaker with a wealth of knowledge at his fingertips. James Pawelski has a gift of a rare degree of intelligence and practical insight. Students who are able to experience what this program has to offer are fortunate.
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| Dear Authentic Happiness Member:
We are happy to announce that the Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program at the University of Pennsylvania is now accepting applications for the 2010-2011 academic year.
We are looking for the next class to join the more than 190 students who have enrolled
in this extraordinary program in the five years since its inception and who are now applying positive psychology in education, medicine, law, business, psychotherapy, counseling, coaching, consulting, and elsewhere. Some of our younger students are now enrolled in Ph.D., J.D., or M.D. programs to further their training before engaging in the practice of positive psychology.
Because MAPP is offered on an executive education model, most of our students continue to work full time during the year and commute to Philadelphia - from across the United States and as far away as Mexico, the UK, Sudan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand! - for the on-site classes. While many students have already earned other master’s degrees or even Ph.D.’s, only a Bachelor’s degree is required for admission.
If you hold at least a Bachelor’s degree (or will complete one this spring), have an excellent academic record, and are interested in learning about positive psychology and its applications from leading researchers and practitioners in the field, we invite you to find out more about our program. If you think the program may be a good fit for you, we encourage you to submit an application before the deadline of March 1, 2010.
For more information about our program, please visit our website at http://www.pennpositivepsych.org
In addition to general program information, the website contains a link to a recorded Virtual Information Session that features input from administrators, professors, and students of the MAPP program.
Please feel free to pass this message along to anyone else you know who might be interested in this program.
Whatever you choose to do in this New Year, we hope it will be one of authentic happiness for you and yours.
Sincerely,
Marty Seligman
Director
Positive Psychology Center
University of Pennsylvania
James Pawelski
Director of Education and Senior Scholar
Positive Psychology Center
University of Pennsylvania |
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Written by Dr. Steve Wright on January 28th, 2010
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Posted in Courses and events, Positive psychologists | No Responses » Tags: degree, James Pawelski, martin seligman, masters, penn, positive, psychology, University of Pennsylvania
