© Paul T. P. Wong

Overview

What is American Positive Psychology (PP)?

What makes life worth living or what is the good life?

What is the meaning hypothesis according to Frankl & Wong?

Evolution of PP

The science of positive emotion, positive character and positive institutions (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000)

The study of what makes life worth living and how to work with stress and suffering (Peterson & Park, 2003)

What characterizes American PP?

It is primarily concerned with happiness and subjective well-being

Emphasizes peace and prosperity as the ideal condition for PP

Believes that meaning in life primarily comes from happiness, positive experiences and human strengths

Seligman (2011): Five components of well-being

Virtues & Character Strengths

Peterson (2013)Major domains of the good life

Meaningful work

Love

Play

Service

Six Limitations of PP:

1. Too much emphasis on the neutral and positive territories of life

2. Not enough recognition of the positive potential of negatives & the negative potential of positives;

3. Not enough recognition of the importance of morality & responsibility

4. Not enough recognition of the impact of existential givens

5. Not enough recognition of the importance of philosophy of life

6. A lack of balance between individualistic and collectivist concerns

What is the meaning of life?

The most important question in psychology and psychotherapy: What makes life worth living? What is the meaning of life?

Different visions of the good life or worthy life

Meaning is important for survival and flourishing

Meaning involves all aspects of the person – cognitive, affective, motivational, social, cultural, spiritual and relational

Existential Positive Psychology (EPP)

1. The Meaning Hypothesis – life has intrinsic meaning

2. The Deep and Wide Hypothesis – suffering deepens & broadens resources

3. The Duality Hypothesis – positives & negatives work together for optimal functioning

The Meaning Hypothesis

The capacity for meaning seeking and meaning making (both existential & cognitive meaning)

The primary motivation for meaning (both global meaning & situational meaning)

Meaning offers us the best protection against existential anxieties and the best hope of living a worthy & vital life

A meaning mindset is more adaptive than the success mindset.

The meaning mindset vs. the success mindset

SuccessFailure

Meaning Fulfillment

Emptiness

Ideal Life

Wasted Life

Shallow Life

Sacrificial Life

The Meaning Mindset

1. Life has intrinsic meaning and value

2. I have the capacity for meaning seeking and meaning making

3. Meaning can be discovered anywhere

4. I can live at a deeper level by detecting the meaning & significance of any situation

5. I can live at a higher plane by serving a higher purpose & being attuned to the transcendental realm and sacredness in daily living.

6. I can live fully by integrating by my potentialities with my vulnerabilities moment by moment

1. I can find something meaningful or significant in everyday events. 1 2 3 4 5

2. There is a reason for everything that happens to me. 1 2 3 4 5

3. There is no ultimate meaning and purpose in life. 1 2 3 4 54. There is no point in searching for meaning in life. 1 2 3 4 55. No matter how painful the situation, life is still worth living.

1 2 3 4 56. The meaning of life is to “eat, drink and be happy”. 1 2 3 4

57. What really matters to me is to pursue a higher purpose or

calling regardless of personal cost. 1 2 3 4 58. I would rather be a happy pig than a sad saint. 1 2 3 4 59. I am willing to sacrifice personal interests for the greater

good. 1 2 3 4 510. Personal happiness and success are more important to

me than achieving inner goodness and moral excellence. 1 2 3 4 5

Life Orientation Scale

The Search for Meaning

Based on:

Authenticity – seeking & pursuing a unique meaning that has real value for the person

Integrity – seeking & pursuing meaning that is consistent with one’s conscience & sense of responsibility

The search for situational & ultimate meaning is an ongoing & ever-evolving process.

Costs of Search for Meaning

One may have to suffer & give one’s life for an ideal or mission.

Soul searching to discover one’s calling may be a difficult process for some people.

Meaning-making and meaning-reconstruction after trauma can be painful.

Benefits of Meaning in Life

Mental & physical health

Survival & flourishing

Recovery & resilience

Religiousness & spirituality

Personal growth

Social harmony

Two Types of Situational Meaning

1) Cognitive Meaning, in terms of appraisal & attribution; it often involves intuitive information processing

2) Existential Meaning, in terms of personal responsibleness to the situation; it involves both intuitive conscience & guiding light from Providence or the Spirit

Ultimate Meaning

It is concerned with finding out how one fits in the large scheme of life.

“This grandiose order, I believe, is what Frankl understands by logos, ultimate meaning. We can never hope to ‘find’ it in its totality, we can only pursue it to the best of our abilities” (Fabry, 1987, p. 5)

“The Ultimate Meaning of one’s life is not a matter of his intellectual cognition, but rather of his existential commitment… Man takes a stand and makes a choice.” (Frankl, 1985, 84)

Sources of Meaning

1. Achievement

2. Acceptance

3. Transcendence

4. Intimacy

5. Relationship

6. Religion

7. Fairness

8. Positive emotions

According to Wong (1998), there are 8 sources of meaning and the good life.

Are you living a balanced life?

Religion/Spirituality

Situational and Cultural Context

Achievement Acceptance

Self-transcendence

Intimacy Relationship

Fairness

Positive Emotion and Well-being

The Deep & Wide Hypothesis

Suffering deepens our inner resources such as meaning, faith, courage, etc.

Suffering also broadens our resources such as creativity, innovation, & social support.

One can attribute positive meanings to suffering.

Personal growth is dependent on the benefits of suffering.

Meaning in Suffering

Suffering awakens the quest for meaning & the defiant human spirit.

Suffering beings, Homo patiente, are concerned with meaning while human beings, Homo sapiens, are concerned with success and happiness.

Suffering gives us opportunity to develop and express our highest values and noblest virtues.

The will to joy in the midst of suffering is both heroic & spiritual.

The Power of Negative Thinking

`Negative no susume-plus shiko ni

unzarishiteiru anata e`By Yu Mogami (2007)

This book shows people how to live a rich & vital life through harnessing the power of negative thinking.

The Duality Hypothesis

The meaning hypothesis recognizes the adaptive power of meaning-seeking & meaning-making.

The deep & wide hypothesis focuses on the adaptive benefits of suffering and negative emotion.

This duality hypothesis emphasizes the benefits and necessity of integrating approach and avoidance systems as being complementary

The Duality Hypothesis (cont)

Albert Camus: “There is no joy of life without despair.”

Rollo May: “The ultimate paradox is that negation becomes affirmation.”

Carl Jung: “It is evil to negate the dark side of personality (the Shadow).”

The Duality Hypothesis (cont)

When the two systems work together, the likelihood of survival and flourishing is greater than focusing exclusively on either approach or avoidance.

There is a down side to everything positive, and there is up side to everything negative. Positive and negative potentials are often two sides of the same coin.

PURE represents the positive system, while ABCDE represents coping with negatives.

Meaning Intervention Accept and confront the negative reality -- the

reality principle

Believe that life is worth living and affirm what is good– the faith principle

Commit to worthy goals and responsible actions – the action principle

Discover the meaning and happiness of living – the meaning principle

Enjoy the success -- the reinforcement principle or Evaluate the above – the self-regulation principle

Normal Life Conditions

Approach System (PURE)

Meaning, happiness &

Personal growth

ThreatsNoxious conditions

Avoidance system (Defense mech. + coping)

Vigilance

Safety andSurvival

Reduce Threats

Transform Threats (ABCDE + PURE)

Vicious Cycle

A Dual-System Model

A Dual-System Model

Individual differences and personal resources

Positive Conditions

Negative Conditions

Positive Outcome

Negative Outcome

Approach

Avoidance

PURE

ABCDE

Cultural and Contextual Variables

Conclusion

The future of Positive Psychology and Meaning Therapy depends on integrating both disciplines, resulting in Existential Positive Psychology (EPP).

Research in EPP will increase our understanding of how to live well & die well under all circumstances.

EPP will enable us to design a better society or organization to optimize well-being.