The phaomnenel pweor of the hmuan mnid.
Aoccdrning to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is beuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Pertty amzanig huh?
Our play, Our class...
The Evening and Weekend Studies students from the "Positive Psychology" program at The Evergreen State College will be presenting a short play "Our (creative, curious, kind, fair, hopeful, brave, grateful and humorous) Town" on Saturday, March 8th at 1 p.m. in Lecture Hall 1. The program students (with little or no theater background) were challenged to create an impromptu overview of the study of life satisfaction and then present their work in dramatic form. Mark Hurst, a clinical psychologist, and instructor for the program, stated that, "positive experience, character, and institutions have too often been left out of the scope of psychology. While dysfunction and mental illness will remain one focus of psychology, there is a worldwide movement to address the "social science" of happiness. The creation of a play allowed students to stretch in new ways to enhance their quality of life.
Hurst is leading a program at Evergreen designed to assist students in understanding, planning, and then living the elements of "positivity" in their own lives. Those elements include: 1) enjoyment of the present moment; 2) exhibiting one's own core virtues and "signature strengths" (curiosity, kindness, forgiveness, empathy, hope, courage, perseverance, open-mindedness, fairness, leadership, creativity, etc.), as well as noticing them in others; and 3) investing in the institutions and communities in which they live and work, to make life more satisfying for all.
Drawing on the works of numerous scholars studying life satisfaction, the program weaves research with the practical by promoting real-world positive experiences. The students are required to complete powerful experiential activities on positive emotion, gratitude, forgiveness, philanthropy, temperance, and savoring, and also build "Resilience Toolboxes" for the stressors they confront in life. Just weeks into the program, students are often experiencing remarkable changes that they are transferring to their family, work, and leisure settings.
Contact information:
Mark A. Hurst, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist
Faculty, Evening and Weekend Studies
Library 3220
2700 Evergreen Parkway NW
The Evergreen State College
Olympia, WA 98505
1-360-866-6000 ext. 6624