positive

• the three assumptions for the positive approach:

  1. acknowledgement of freewill
  2. authenticity of goodness and excellence
  3. focus on the good life
• humans are in charge of their emotions and have the freewill to change how they adapt them
• Seligman- happiness is not determined by genes or luck, but recognising our own strengths and virtues and making free will choices to develop these
• free will eg. Diener and Seligman- students who chose to invest time in relationships with friends and family were happier
• an assumption is that feelings of happiness and goodness are as natural and authentic as stress and anxiety
• authenticity- positive psychology believes positive aspects can be studies and researched scientifically because they are just as real as negative ones
• Seligman - we have signiture strengths such as kindness and humour and focusing on them can encourage goodness and excellence
• the authentic good and excellent traits can be developed and used as a buffer from future mental health problems
• an assumption is that we can focus and achieve the good life
• Seligman- three types of life: the pleasant life, the good life and the meaningful life
• the starting point is the pleasant life
• the second step is the good life where happiness comes from pursuing activities and combines 3 elements: positive connection, positive traits and life regulation qualities
• once the good life is achieved, we can aim for the meaningful life