Positively

[dracowayfarer]

Yesterday I woke before dawn and drove (with a tall, 5-pump vanilla latte from Starbucks in the center console drink holder of my car) under cloudy skies to Claremont, where for the better part of the day I sat in a theater at Claremont Graduate University, listening to a dozen of the most respected names in positive psychology present their ideas

Comments

[randir]

So, if you had to pick, what would be the most intriguing thought/idea of the conference?

--Randir

[dracowayfarer]

Oh wow, uhm... hang on, let me dig through my notes.

The idea of mental well being as a societal goal definitely caught my attention, probably because it ties in to my own interests. Ed Diener discussed the idea of having a national measure of well-being, noting that our government pays a lot of attention to economics and physical health and security, but not a lot of attention to whether its citizens are really happy.

He also brought up the idea that people pay attention to things that are measured. People care whether the stock market is up or down because we measure it and we know that it is related to things that matter to us. If we measure national well-being and educate people on why it's important, they'll start to care about that, too.

[dracowayfarer]

But, really, in retrospect, the thing I liked the most was all the little ways that this idea is spreading.

Positive emotions lead to better health. Positive emotions prompt growth. Positive emotions expand our attention.

And positivity isn't just being super happy and cheerful all the time. There is room for the negative, and contentment and appreciation can be transformative, too.

[dracowayfarer]

I'm pretty ecstatic about it. :D