One of my worries about America is the epidemic of depression we've been in. One of the possibilities about that is that the 'I' gets bigger and bigger, and the 'we' gets smaller and smaller.
Martin SeligmanRead
I'm trying to broaden the scope of positive psychology well beyond the smiley face. Happiness is just one-fifth of what human beings choose to do.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes that happiness is only a small part of a broader approach to positive psychology.
Martin Seligman highlights that while happiness is a significant aspect of human experience, it only represents a fraction of the potential elements that contribute to a fulfilling life. By advocating for a broader perspective on positive psychology, he encourages the exploration of various dimensions of well-being beyond merely pursuing happiness.
In practice
During a workshop on mental health, I referenced this quote to illustrate that happiness is part of a larger picture of well-being.
One of my worries about America is the epidemic of depression we've been in. One of the possibilities about that is that the 'I' gets bigger and bigger, and the 'we' gets smaller and smaller.
The dirty little secret of both clinical psychology and biological psychiatry is that they have completely given up on the notion of cure.
The belief that we can rely on shortcuts to happiness, joy, rapture, comfort, and ecstasy, rather than be entitled to these feelings by the exercise of personal strengths and virtues, leads to legions of people who, in the middle of great wealth, are starving spiritually.
I believe psychology has done very well in working out how to understand and treat disease. But I think that is literally half-baked. If all you do is work to fix problems, to alleviate suffering, then by definition you are working to get people to zero, to neutral.
The good life is using your signature strengths every day to produce authentic happiness and abundant gratification.
Perhaps the single most robust fact across many surveys is that married people are happier than anyone else.
Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length.
Why not seize the pleasure at once? -- How often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparation!
I don't care what you do to me, but I don't want you to hurt me. I've had enough hurt already in my life. More than enough. Now I want to be happy.
No one is happy all his life long.
Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul.
Happiness is not so much in having as sharing. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
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