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.
Martin SeligmanRead
I think we pursue positive relationships whether or not they bring us engagement or happiness.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that people are drawn to positive relationships regardless of the immediate emotional benefits.
Martin Seligman's quote highlights the intrinsic human desire to seek out and cultivate positive relationships in our lives. Even when these relationships do not directly lead to joy or engagement, the act of pursuing and maintaining them is a fundamental aspect of our social nature and overall well-being.
Themes
RelationshipsPositivityHappinessEngagementSocial
In practice
Example use cases
This quote would be perfect for a speech on the importance of community.
More from Martin Seligman
All quotes →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.
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The dirty little secret of both clinical psychology and biological psychiatry is that they have completely given up on the notion of cure.
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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.
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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.
Martin SeligmanRead
The good life is using your signature strengths every day to produce authentic happiness and abundant gratification.
Martin SeligmanRead
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