It was the first week of the Master of Applied Positive Psychology graduate school program at University of Pennsylvania when I met George Vaillant, who would be one of our guest lecturers. I was excited to meet him because, working in the spa industry, I was a big fan of his book “Aging Well,” a book that certainly influenced my own “anti-anti-aging” philosophy. (Most people in the spa industry try [...]
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Did you Hear? . . . Positive Gossip
Today’s article contains simple but powerful wisdom from Dr. Lynn Johnson, PhD, author of ENJOY LIFE! Healing with Happiness. For a great introduction to Lynn (and his dog Ruby,) visit his website http://enjoylifebook.com/ and watch the one minute video for a brief lesson on happiness. Homer Simpson once said, “If we aren’t supposed to eat animals, why are they made of meat?” If everyone knows gossiping is bad, why do people do [...]
On Eating Animals
I recently wrote “Confessions of a Carnivore,” about my month-long stint last August in vegetarianism. To motivate me during the month, I read “Eating Animals” by Jonathan Safran Froer, which gives a “too close for comfort” look at how our food is produced in the modern world. Reading this book is like taking the red pill in the Matrix: Morpheus: This is your last chance. After this, there is no [...]
Willpower and Waypower: The Secret to Accomplishing All Your Goals for the New Year
As we kiss another year good bye it’s time to start thinking about New Year’s resolutions and what we hope to accomplish in the months to come. If you’re like most people, when January rolls around, you spend at least a little time reflecting on your goals for the new year. Maybe you want to shed a few excess pounds, start an exercise program (gym membership sales usually spike in [...]
Was 2010 a Good Year?
In a few days, we will watch the ball drop on another year and say goodbye to 2010. How much meaning you assign to this event is purely an individual decision. As I discussed in a previous article (see The Psychology of Time,) these measures of time are strictly a human invention and only appeared relatively recently in human history. Much like a ruler would still be the same size [...]
The Positive Psychology of Christmas Stories
‘Tis the season, when families come together, exchange gifts, prepare lavish feasts and eventually all curl up in the living room to watch a classic Christmas movie. The movies that are shown this time of year are very specific in their genre, not just because they feature common characters such as elves, Santa Claus, reindeers or angels, but because they feature common themes such as hope, love, giving, kindness, charity [...]
And Some Will Die: Risk and Reality on the Road
This weekend is a holiday weekend. Millions of families will pile into their cars to spend a few days away relaxing, sight-seeing, or celebrating. And some will crash . . . and some will die. This is a sobering thought, inspired by one of the most disturbing videos I have ever seen (see disclosure below before clicking this link.) The video is a compilation of clips, both real and enacted, showing some of [...]
Positive Psychology for New Parents: 5 Tips
Note: this article was originally published on Positive Psychology News Daily on July 27, 2010. As a new parent, I can tell you that there seems to be a surprising lack of guidance from science about how to have (and raise) a child. Since Catherine and I first learned we were expecting, the biggest piece of advice we have received from friends has been, “don’t listen to advice,” referencing the fact [...]
Welcome to the Club
One of my favorite parts of being a new parent is the sense of camaraderie and bonding that I experience now with other parents. Prior to being a parent, I really didn’t “get it” and didn’t respect the immense impact of such a miraculous life event. Even when close friends have had children, I couldn’t reach out to them in the way that I now wish I had, because I [...]
Breaking News: Money Actually Can Buy Happiness
The relationship between wealth and happiness is complicated. People are always excited to hear (and share) snippets of research that seem to indicate that money doesn’t buy happiness. It is comforting to believe that happiness and wealth are not related because it means we don’t have to keep trying so hard to make a buck. But in reality, the relationship is not so clear cut. Unfortunately, research findings that are [...]
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