Reader Response

An Introduction to Positive Psychology by William C. Compton

I find it ironic this book is called An Introduction to Positive Psychology because it seems more like a primer on research to date.  It is almost a meta-analysis of positive psychology.  That being said, I really enjoyed how well Compton summarizes myriad studies on positive psychology, going back to long before the term “positive psychology” even existed.  I was particularly impressed by his ability to briefly summarize the work of Csikszentmihalyi, Jung, Adler and Maslow.  No small task with any of these psychologists, especially not with Jung.  This book provides a true wealth of knowledge, particularly as a leaping point to further investigations into any particular research study or area of focus.  The references alone are worth the price of the book.

I love the psychologist Alfred Adler.  He is probably my favorite “founding father” of psychology.  I love him for encouraging social interest, or Gemeinschaftsgefuhl.  I feel this is a critical element of life-satisfaction because it provides an opportunity for one to get one’s attention off of oneself.  I know that depression is often fueled by ruminations, and doing something for the betterment of others is a great way to stop ruminating, gain perspective, engage with others, feel part of something larger than oneself, and raise one’s self-esteem.  America is a culture of rugged individualism.  Combined with the self-obsessed era of the late twentieth century that we learned about in the documentary Century of the Self, it’s no wonder so many Americans are now simply languishing rather than thriving.  We’ve become disconnected from one another and I fear many people neither have a sense of belonging nor a sense of purpose.  I consider the theme of altruism that ran throughout this book as an indication that positive psychology is a great movement to encourage people to engage with one another and the larger world around us. 

Another theme I noticed throughout Compton’s book was the theme of being more tolerant to ambiguity.  For instance, in Chapter Seven (excellence, aesthetics, creativity and genius), Compton writes “creative people tend to be highly flexible in their thinking and quite tolerant for ambiguity or even outright disorder” (p. 144).  In Chapter Eight (positive mental health: thriving and flourishing), this same theme underlies the summary of Maslow’s characterization that self-actualizing people have “a willingness to risk the security of the known and comfortable for the potential growth that can come from embracing a new challenge” (p. 163).  I consider tolerance for ambiguity to be important because it helps us to maintain our balance during the inevitable times of internal or external upheaval we will all experience, whether such upheaval happens on purpose or “by accident.”  I view tolerance for ambiguity as an antidote to the quest for control that often leads to misery, both personally and globally.

In Chapter Twelve (a look toward the future of positive psychology) Compton discusses the difference between the pursuit of happiness and the pursuit of meaning.  This was personally validating for me, as I recognized last year that I am currently far more motivated by the pursuit of meaning in my life than the pursuit of happiness.  I realize I no longer look to my interpersonal relationships as a source of pleasure and happiness, although they certainly include these aspects.  Rather, I look to my interpersonal relationships as a way to feel genuinely connected to other human beings.  Through such connection, I notice I feel a stronger sense of meaning in my life because I feel more love.  In this context, love means to deeply connect with another human being.  For me, such connection includes empathy and compassion, which in turn leads to increased gratitude which ultimately provides me with greater life satisfaction.