Very Good Years | Psychology Today Blogs

Very Good Years Psychology Today Blogs


By Christopher Peterson, Ph.D. on May 5, 2009 - 9:54am in The Good Life

Excerpts:

.....as individuals, we all have good years and not-so-good years and that one of the goals of positive psychology should be to characterize these. And if possible, we should try and increase the very good years. Here are some of my ideas about very good years.

Daniel Kahneman's (1999) peak-end theory about what people recollect from hedonic experiences (their peaks and their ends) applies broadly, at least for me. My very good years were densely packed with peaks. I don't mean good meals or exciting vacations (see my earlier blog entry "Happy Days and Happy Times") but rather sustained experiences that were shared with others and could be savored in their company. At age fifty, I took a leave of absence from Michigan to work on a positive psychology project. I did not know how much my life would change as a result. But it did. My research, my teaching, my outreach, and indeed my identity now revolve around positive psychology. It was a very good year.

Read full article: http://blogs.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-good-life/200905/very-good-years
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This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.