First of all, wait a minute. Let me get this straight. The first semester of MAPP is already over? Wasn't it yesterday that I went back to school? Even 2015 is about to end? And I have not written a single post - a single post - on positive psychology so far? And I haven't posted anything in almost four months now? Despite my goals of writing and posting consistently? This can't be true, can it? Except that it is. Time flew faster than it ever had, I wrote little else apart from theory papers, and I ignored this blog even after having so much to write about. Sigh. I have made and broken enough promises about writing this year to be afraid of committing to anything now. So, as of now I have decided to just go with the flow with regards to this blog.
The irony is that for the first time in my life, I haven't had a shortage of content to write about. And yet...But, before I start ruminating again, let me begin. And I shall begin from the beginning. The title of this post reflects the nature and the tone of questions people ask me when they learn that I study positive psychology. What is positive psychology? What do you mean "positive" - is the rest of the psychology negative? Oh, isn't this the field with the yellow smiley face as its logo? In this post, I will share my perspective on these questions, based on what I have learned in the last three months.
Let's begin with a thought experiment. Imagine that all the problems from your life have vanished. You have perfect relationships, all the money you could have asked for, a job you love, a boss from heaven, and there is nothing that is not working in your life. How would that be? Would you like to lead such a life?
If you are anything like me, you will be bored to death just by imagining such perfection.
The good news is, that is NOT what positive psychology is about.
Now, imagine that your life is filled with failures, challenges, and pain. Nothing good ever happens to you. You are miserable all the time. How does that sound for a life?
Terrible? Of course.
Thankfully, that is also not what positive psychology is about.
The truth is: life is messy, but it is also wonderful. We are awful at certain things, but excel at others. We are often driven by fear, but also have the capacity for enormous love. Positive psychology is the scientific study of how human beings can live their wonderful, messy lives in the best possible way. It is not just about the yellow smiley face. It is not a field of study as opposed to "negative" psychology. It is a new branch of psychology that focuses on the good things in life. It attempts to answer questions like what makes life worth living, and what actions can we take to lead better lives. And it does it using the principles of science.
Does positive psychology have answers to all the life's questions? Not really. It is a new field of study, and there is a long road ahead of it. But I think it is a worthy endeavor and I love being a part of it.
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