06+Positive+Psychology+and+Peak+Performance

=**Positive psychology**= is a recent branch of [|psychology] whose purpose was summed up in 2000 by [|Martin Seligman] and [|Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi]: "We believe that a psychology of positive human functioning will arise that achieves a scientific understanding and effective interventions to build [|thriving] in individuals, families, and communities."[|[][|1][|]] Positive psychologists seek "to find and nurture genius and talent", and "to make normal life more fulfilling",[|[][|2][|]] not simply to treat [|mental illness]. The emerging field of Positive Psychology is intended to complement, not to replace traditional psychology. By scientifically studying what has gone right, rather than wrong in both individuals and societies, Positive Psychology hopes to achieve a renaissance of sorts. This approach has created a lot of interest around the subject, and around 2002, college courses on positive psychology taught by Martin Seligman, Michael Frisch, and others arrived. Little attention was given by the general public until 2006 when using the same framework, a course at [|Harvard University] became particularly popular.[|[][|3][|]] Several [|humanistic] psychologists—such as [|Abraham Maslow], [|Carl Rogers], and [|Erich Fromm]—developed theories and practices that involved human happiness. Recently the theories of human flourishing developed by these humanistic psychologists have found empirical support from studies by positive psychologists. Positive psychology has also moved ahead in a number of new directions. Current [|researchers] in positive psychology include [|Martin Seligman],[|[][|2][|]] [|Ed Diener],[|[][|2][|]] [|Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi],[|[][|2][|]] [|Christopher Peterson],[|[][|2][|]] [|Carol Dweck], [|Barbara Fredrickson],[|[][|2][|]] [|Sonja Lyubomirsky],[|[][|4][|]][|[][|5][|]] [|Kennon Sheldon],[|[][|6][|]] [|Jonathan Haidt], [|Shelley Taylor], [|C. R. Snyder],[|[][|2][|]] [|Robert Biswas-Diener],[|[][|7][|]] [|Albert Bandura], Charles S. Carver, Robert Emmons, Michael McCullough, and Phil Zimbardo. Each of these scientists has published influential and well-cited articles. Furthermore, these scientists are considered producers of high quality work outside of the positive psychology guild who publish in mainstream, top-tier psychology journals. This is important as positive psychology is, in the end, yet another branch of the science that is psychology. Positive psychology finds its roots in the [|humanistic psychology] of the 20th century, which focused heavily on happiness and fulfillment. Earlier influences on positive psychology came primarily from philosophical and religious sources, as scientific psychology did not take its modern form until the late 19th century. (See [|History of psychology]) [|Judaism] promotes a [|Divine command theory] of happiness: happiness and rewards follow from following the commands of the divine.[|[][|2][|]] The ancient Greeks had many schools of thought. [|Socrates] advocated [|self-knowledge] as the path to happiness. [|Plato's] [|allegory of the cave] influenced western thinkers who believe that happiness is found by finding deeper meaning. Aristotle believed that happiness, or [|eudaimonia] is constituted by rational activity in accordance with [|virtue] over a complete life. The [|Epicureans] believed in reaching happiness through the enjoyment of simple pleasures. The [|Stoics] believed they could remain happy by being objective and [|reasonable].[|[][|2][|]] [|Christianity] continued to follow the Divine command theory of happiness. In the [|Middle Ages], Christianity taught that true happiness would not be found until the [|afterlife]. The [|seven deadly sins] are about earthly self-indulgence and [|narcissism]. On the other hand, the [|Four Cardinal Virtues] and [|Three Theological Virtues] were supposed to keep one from sin.[|[][|2][|]] During the [|Renaissance] and [|Age of Enlightenment], [|individualism] came to be valued. Simultaneously, [|creative] individuals gained prestige, as they were now considered to be artists, not just craftsmen. [|Utilitarian] philosophers such as [|John Stuart Mill] believed that moral actions are those actions that maximize [|happiness] for the most number of people, suggesting an [|empirical] [|science] of happiness should be used to determine which actions are moral (a [|science of morality]). [|Thomas Jefferson] and other proponents of [|democracy] believed that "[|Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness]" are inalienable rights, and that it justifies the overthrow of the government.[|[][|2][|]] The [|Romantics] valued individual emotional expression and sought their emotional "true selves," which were unhindered by social norms. At the same time, love and intimacy became the main motivations for people to get [|married].[|[][|2][|]] Some researchers[|[][|16][|]] in this field posit that positive psychology can be delineated into three overlapping areas of research: These categories appear to be neither widely disputed nor adopted by researchers across the 12 years that this academic area has been in existence.
 * 1) Research into the **Pleasant Life**, or the "life of enjoyment", examines how people optimally experience, [|forecast], and savor the positive feelings and emotions that are part of normal and healthy living (e.g. relationships, hobbies, interests, entertainment, etc.).
 * 2) The study of the **Good Life**, or the "life of engagement", investigates the beneficial affects of immersion, absorption, and [|flow] that individuals feel when optimally engaged with their primary activities. These states are experienced when there is a positive match between a person's strength and the task they are doing, i.e. when they feel confident that they can accomplish the tasks they face. (See related concept, [|Self-efficacy])
 * 3) Inquiry into the **Meaningful Life**, or "life of affiliation", questions how individuals derive a positive sense of well-being, belonging, meaning, and purpose from being part of and contributing back to something larger and more permanent than themselves (e.g. [|nature], social groups, organizations, movements, traditions, belief systems).

Professor [|Philip Zimbardo] suggests we might also analyze happiness from a "Time Perspective". Zimbardo suggests sorting people's focus in life by valence (positive or negative) but also by their time perspective (past, present, or future orientation). Doing so may reveal some conflicts between individuals to be conflicts, not over whether an activity is enjoyed, but whether one prefers to risk delaying gratification further. Zimbardo also believes that research reveals an optimal balance of perspectives for a happy life; he says our focus on reliving positive aspects of our past should be high, followed by time spent believing in a positive future, and finally spending a moderate (but not excessive) amount of time enjoying the present[|[][|17][|]]. The [|broaden-and-build] theory of positive emotions suggests that positive emotions (e.g. [|happiness], [|interest], [|anticipation])[|[18]] broaden one's awareness and encourage novel, varied, and exploratory thoughts and actions. Over time, this broadened behavioral repertoire builds skills and resources. For example, curiosity about a landscape becomes valuable navigational knowledge; pleasant interactions with a stranger become a supportive friendship; aimless physical play becomes exercise and physical excellence. This is in contrast to negative emotions, which prompt narrow survival-oriented behaviors. For example, the negative emotion of [|anxiety] leads to the specific [|fight-or-flight response] for immediate survival.[|[][|18][|]] Below, research is sorted according to which of Seligman's categories it may be most (but not strictly) related (i.e. the "pleasant", "good", or "meaningful" life). Since these are still [|fuzzy classifications], research mentioned in one section may be quite relevant in another.

The pleasant life
[|Abraham Maslow] proposed a [|hierarchy of needs] in which more primitive desires must be met (basic physiological, sense of safety) before social needs can be met (e.g. intimacy), and certainly before one can effectively pursue more conceptual needs (e.g. morality). Some research suggests that large portions of happiness are within a human's control In her book [|The How of Happiness], psychologist [|Sonja Lyubomirsky] presents research that suggests that a human's range of happiness is determined in large part by genetic factors, but that the ultimate level of happiness (how much of their genetically-possible happiness they reach) depends on other factors including intentional actions and habits. There is evidence suggesting that negative emotions can be damaging. In an article titled "The undoing effect of positive emotions", [|Barbara Fredrickson] et al. hypothesize that positive emotions undo the cardiovascular effects of negative emotions. When people experience [|stress], they show increased [|heart rate], higher [|blood sugar], [|immune suppression], and other adaptations optimized for immediate action. If individuals do not regulate these changes once the stress is past, they can lead to illness, [|coronary heart disease], and heightened mortality. Both lab research and survey research indicate that positive emotions help people who were previously under stress relax back to their physiological baseline.[|[][|19][|]]

Buying happiness
In his book [|Stumbling on Happiness], psychologist [|Dan Gilbert] describes research suggesting that money makes a big difference to the poor (where basic needs are not yet met) but has greatly diminished effects once one reaches middle class. In other words, having extra money for luxuries does not increase happiness as much as enjoying one's job or social network. Professor of Economics [|Richard Easterlin] notes that job satisfaction does not depend on salary. Gilbert is thus adamant that people should go to great lengths in order to (a) figure out which jobs they would enjoy and (b) find a way to do one of those jobs for a living (that is, provided one is also attentive to their social ties).

The good life
[|Self-efficacy] is one's belief in one's ability to accomplish a task by one's own efforts. Low self-efficacy is associated with [|depression]; high self-efficacy can help one overcome abuse, overcome eating disorders, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. High self-efficacy also improves the [|immune system], aids in stress management, and decreases pain.[|[][|20][|]] A related but somewhat differing concept is [|Personal effectiveness] which is primarily concerned with the methodologies of planning and implementation of accomplishment.

Flow
[|Flow], or a state of absorption in one's work, is characterized by intense concentration, loss of self-awareness, a feeling of being perfectly challenged (neither bored nor overwhelmed), and a sense that "time is flying." Flow is an intrinsically rewarding experience, and it can also help one achieve a goal (e.g. winning a game) or improve skills (e.g. becoming a better chess player).[|[][|21][|]] Being challenged means flow is, of course, temporarily exciting and stressful, but this [|Eustress] is not harmful because it is not [|chronic stress]. Czikszentmihalyi identifies nine elements of flow: 1. There are clear goals every step of the way, 2. There is immediate feedback to one's action, 3. There is a balance between challenges and skills, 4. Action and awareness are merged, 5. Distractions are excluded from consciousness, 6. There is no worry of failure, 7. Self-consciousness disappears, 8. The sense of time becomes distorted, 9. The activity becomes "autotelic" (an end in itself, done for its own sake)

Mindfulness
[|Mindfulness], may be defined as the intentionally-focused awareness of one's immediate experience. The experience is one of a moment-by-moment attention to thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and surroundings. To practice mindfulness is to become grounded in the present moment; one's role is simply as observer of the arising and passing away of experience. One does not judge the experiences and thoughts, nor do they try to 'figure things out' and draw conclusions, or change anything - the challenge during mindfulness is to simply observe.[|[][|23][|]][|[][|24][|]] Benefits of mindfulness practice include reduction of stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.[|[][|25][|]] Advocates of focusing on present experiences also mention research by Psychologist [|Daniel Gilbert], who suggests that daydreaming, instead of focusing on the present, may impede happiness [|[][|26][|]] [|[][|27][|]]. Other psychologists (see Zimbardo's "Time Perspectives" above) say that it is still important to spend time recalling past positive experiences, and building positive expectations for the future.

The meaningful life
[|Learned optimism] is the idea that a talent for joy, like any other, can be cultivated. It is contrasted with [|learned helplessness]. Learning optimism is done by consciously challenging [|self talk] if it describes a negative event as a personal failure that permanently affects all areas of the person's life. After several years of researching [|disgust], [|University of Virginiaprofessor] [|Jonathan Haidt] and others studied its opposite, and the term "[|elevation]" was coined. Elevation is a moral emotion and is pleasant. It involves a desire to act morally and do "good"; as an emotion it has a basis in biology, and can sometimes be characterized by a feeling of expansion in the chest or a tingling feeling on the skin. [|Spirituality] is associated with mental health, managing substance abuse, marital functioning, parenting, and coping [//[|citation needed]//]. It has been suggested that spirituality also leads to finding purpose and meaning in life [//[|citation needed]//]. Research on spirituality is in early stages, however, and has not yet benefitted from the full range of [|psychological research methodsavailable]; current research on the benefits of spirituality is mostly limited to studies using cross-sectional questionnaires [

Strengths and virtues
The development of the [|Character Strengths and Virtues] (CSV) handbook represents the first attempt on the part of the research community to identify and classify the positive psychological traits of human beings. Much like the //[|Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders]// (DSM) of general psychology, the CSV provides a theoretical framework to assist in understanding strengths and virtues and for developing practical applications for positive psychology. This manual identifies six classes of [|virtue] (i.e., "core virtues"), made up of twenty-four measurable character strengths.[|[][|28][|]] The introduction of [|CSV] suggests that these six virtues are considered good by the vast majority of cultures and throughout history and that these traits lead to increased happiness when practiced. Notwithstanding numerous cautions and caveats, this suggestion of universality hints that in addition to trying to broaden the scope of psychological research to include mental wellness, the leaders of the positive psychology movement are challenging [|moral relativism] and suggesting that we are "evolutionarily predisposed" toward certain virtues, that virtue has a biological basis.[|[][|29][|]] [|Comedians] are considered masters of [|humor].

The organization of these virtues and strengths is as follows: It should be noted that the organization of these virtues into 6 groups is contested. It has been suggested that the 24 strengths identified are more accurately grouped into just 3 or 4 categories: Intellectual Strengths, Interpersonal Strengths, and Temperance Strengths [|[][|30][|]] or alternatively Interpersonal Strengths, Fortitude, Vitality, and Cautiousness [|[][|31][|]] These general traits, and even their classifications, have emerged independently elsewhere in literature on values. Some examples have been described by Paul Thagard, including Jeff Shrager's workshops that attempt to discover the habits of highly creative people.
 * 1) **Wisdom and Knowledge:** [|creativity], [|curiosity], open-mindedness, [|love of learning], [|perspective], [|innovation]
 * 2) **Courage:** [|bravery], persistence, [|integrity], [|vitality]
 * 3) **Humanity:** [|love], [|kindness], [|social intelligence]
 * 4) **Justice:** [|citizenship], fairness, [|leadership]
 * 5) **Temperance:** [|forgiveness] and [|mercy], [|humility], [|prudence], [|self control]
 * 6) **Transcendence:** [|appreciation of beauty] and [|excellence], [|gratitude], [|hope], [|humor], [|spirituality]

Application
Practical applications of positive psychology include helping individuals and organizations identify their strengths and use them to increase and sustain their respective levels of well-being. Therapists, counselors, coaches, and various psychological professionals, as well as HR departments, business strategists, and others are using these new methods and techniques to broaden and build upon the strengths of individuals who are not necessarily suffering from mental illness or disorder. Researcher Dianne Hales described a person as //emotionally healthy// as someone who exhibited flexibility and adaptability to different circumstances, had a sense of meaning and affirmation in life as well as an "understanding that the self is not the center of the universe", had compassion and the ability to be unselfish, along with increased depth and satisfaction in intimate relationships, and who had a sense of control over the mind and body.[|[][|36][|]] Proponents of replacing [|Gross domestic product] with [|Gross national happiness] as the predominant measure of a nation's success often cite positive psychology research

[|Wikipedia] =

Learned Optimism= Learned optimism was defined by [|Martin Seligman] and published in his 1990 book, Learned Optimism.[|[][|1][|]] The benefits of an optimistic outlook are many: Optimists are higher achievers and have better overall health. Pessimism, on the other hand, is much more common. Pessimists are more likely to give up in the face of adversity or to suffer from [|depression]. In his book, Seligman invites pessimists to learn to be optimists by thinking about their reactions to adversity in a new way. The resulting optimism — one that grew from pessimism — is a learned optimism. Other differences exist between pessimists and optimists in the areas of permanence, pervasiveness, hope, and personalization. The optimist's outlook on failure can thus be summarized as "What happened was an unlucky situation (not personal), and really just a set back (not permanent) for this one, of many, goals (not pervasive)". Seligman came to the concept of learned optimism through [|scientific] study of [|learned helplessness], the idea that a certain re-occurring negative event is out of the person's control. As he was performing [|tests] to study helplessness further, he began to wonder why some people resisted helplessness-conditioning. He noticed that, while some subjects blamed themselves for negative outcomes, others blamed the experiment for setting them up to fail. Seligman shifted his focus to attempting to discover what it is that keeps some people from ever becoming helpless. The answer was optimism. Using his knowledge about conditioning people to be helpless in the lab, he shifted his focus to conditioning people to be optimists. The result of these experiments led to defining the processes of learning optimism.
 * **Permanence**: Optimistic people believe bad events to be more temporary than permanent and bounce back quickly from failure, whereas others may take longer periods to recover or may never recover. They also believe good things happen for reasons that are permanent, rather than seeing the transient nature of positive events.
 * **Pervasiveness**: Optimistic people compartmentalize helplessness, whereas pessimistic people assume that failure in one area of life means failure in life as a whole. Optimistic people also allow good events to brighten every area of their lives rather than just the particular area in which the event occurred.
 * **Hope**: Optimists point to specific temporary causes for negative events; pessimists point to permanent causes
 * **Personalization**: Optimists blame bad events on causes outside of themselves, whereas pessimists blame themselves for events that occur. Optimists are therefore generally more confident. Optimists also quickly internalize positive events while pessimists externalize them.

Research
In a study completed by Martin Seligman, Ph.D. and Gregory Buchanan, Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania and published by the American Psychological Association, learned optimism techniques were found to significantly reduce depression in a class of college freshmen. As incoming students to the university, a survey determined the most pessimistic students and they were invited to participate in the study. They were [|randomly assigned], half to attend a 16-hour workshop on the techniques of learning optimism, and half were the control group. In an 18 month follow up, 32% of the control group suffered moderate to severe depression and 15% suffered moderate to severe anxiety disorder, whereas only 22% of the workshop participants were depressed and 7% had anxiety issues. Those who participated in the learned optimism workshop also reported fewer health problems over the 18 month period of the study than those students in the control group.[|[][|2][|]] A study done by Peter Schulman at the Wharton School, published in the Journal of Selling and Sales Management, looked to determine the affects of applying learned optimism in business. After measuring the optimism levels of an insurance sales force, it was determined that the optimistic sales people sold 35 percent more, and identified pessimists were two times more likely to quit in the first year than optimists. As a result of his studies, he recommends testing sales job candidates for optimism levels to fit them to appropriate positions, training employees in learned optimism techniques, and designing an organization overall to have attainable goals set and good support from management.[|[][|3][|]] Finally, a study conducted by Mark Ylvisaker of the College of Saint Rose and Timothy Feeney of the Wildwood Institute looked at children with executive function impairment. The children had brain functioning impairments affecting motor skills, memory, or the ability to focus. Learned optimism was not taught to the children themselves, but rather to their caretakers, who oftentimes are more likely to feel helpless than optimistic in regards to caring for the child. It was found that learned optimism in caretakers of children with brain damage actually led the children to develop more functioning than children without optimistic caretakers. Thus Ylvisaker concludes that the optimism of professional rehabilitators can effect the results of their clients

Seligman’s Method of Learning Optimism
According to [|Martin Seligman], anyone can learn optimism. Whether currently an optimist or a pessimist, benefits can be gained from exposure to the process of learned optimism to improve response to both big and small adversities. A [|test], developed by Seligman, is used to determine an individual’s base level of optimism and sort them on a scale. Being in the more pessimistic categories means that learning optimism has a chance of preventing depression, helping the person achieve more, and improve physical health. Seligman’s process of learning optimism is simple, and trains a new way of responding to adversity. Namely, the person learns to talk themself through personal defeat. It begins with the Ellis' ABC model of adversity, belief, and consequence.[|[][|5][|]] Adversity is the event that happens, belief is how that adversity is interpreted, and consequences are the feelings and actions that result from the beliefs. This is demonstrated in the example below: This is a somewhat graphic example, but should present a good idea of what each component of ABC looks like. In the journey to learning optimism, one must first understand his/ her natural reaction to and interpretation of adversity. In order to do so, learners are asked to keep a journal, for two days, of small adverse events and the beliefs and consequences that followed. Next the learner simply returns to the journal to highlight pessimism (e.g. pervasiveness: "it doomed me...") in their written descriptions of the events. Seligman adds to the ABC model, making his model ABCDE. D stands for disputation, which centers around providing counter-evidence to any of the following: the negative beliefs in general, the causes of the event, or the implications. D also means reminding oneself of any potential usefulness of moving on from the adversity. Disputation for the above traffic example might sound like this: “I am overreacting. I don’t know what situation he is in. Maybe he is on his way to his daughter’s piano recital and is running late. I’m sure I have cut people off before without meaning to, so I should really cut him a break. I am not in a hurry anyway.” Over time, responses like this can change feelings to be more hopeful and positive. Successful disputation leads to energization, the E in the ABCDE model. One is energized, and should indeed try to actively celebrate, the positive feelings and sense of accomplishment that come from successful disputation of negative beliefs. Disputation and Energization (celebration) are the keys to Seligman's method. Teaching children learned optimism by guiding them through the ABCDE techniques can help children to better deal with adversity they encounter in their lives. In addition to the same value adults can get from learning optimism, if children are taught early then the thought process of disputation becomes ingrained in them. They do not have to focus on being optimistic, but rather optimism becomes automatic and leads to a more positive life for the child.
 * Adversity: Someone cuts you off in traffic.
 * Belief: You think, “I can’t believe that idiot was so rude and selfish!”
 * Consequence: You are overcome with anger, yelling profanity at the other driver.

=The **Character Strengths and Virtues** (CSV) handbook= of human strengths and [|virtues], by the [|Values in Action Institute], represents the first attempt on the part of the research community to identify and classify the positive psychological traits of human beings.[|[][|1][|]] In the same way that the //[|Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders]// is used to assess and facilitate research on [|mental disorders], the CSV is intended to provide a theoretical framework to assist in developing practical applications for [|positive psychology].[|[][|1][|]] The CSV identifies six classes of virtue (i.e. "core virtues"), made up of twenty-four measurable character strengths.

The strengths and virtues
CSV defined character strengths as satisfying most of the ten following criteria. Character strengths are The introduction of CSV suggests that these six virtues are considered good by the vast majority of cultures and throughout history and that these traits lead to increased happiness when practiced. Notwithstanding numerous cautions and caveats, this suggestion of universality hints that in addition to trying to broaden the scope of psychological research to include mental wellness, the leaders of the positive psychology movement are challenging [|moral relativism] and suggesting that virtue has a biological basis.[|[][|1][|]] These arguments are in line with the [|Science of morality]. Each of the twenty-four character traits is defined [|behaviorally], with [|psychometric] evidence demonstrating that it can be [|reliably] measured.[|[][|2][|]] The book shows that "empirically minded [|humanists] can measure character strengths and virtues in a rigorous scientific manner."[|[][|2][|]] Socrates: An example of all the CSV's virtues (whether one groups them into six or even just three)
 * 1) fulfilling;
 * 2) [|intrinsically valuable], in an ethical sense ([|gifts], [|skills], [|aptitudes] and [|expertise] can be squandered, but character strengths and [|virtues] cannot);
 * 3) non-[|rivalrous];
 * 4) not the opposite of a desirable trait (a counterexample is steadfast and flexible, which are opposites but are both commonly seen as desirable);
 * 5) [|trait-like] (habitual patterns that are relatively stable over time);
 * 6) not a combination of the other character strengths in the CSV;
 * 7) personified (at least in the popular imagination) by people made famous through story, song, etc.;
 * 8) observable in [|child prodigies] (though this criterion is not applicable to all character strengths);
 * 9) absent in some individuals;
 * 10) and nurtured by societal [|norms] and [|institutions].

Practical applications of positive psychology include helping individuals and organizations correctly identify their strengths and use them to increase and sustain their respective levels of well-being. Each trait "provides one of many alternative paths to virtue and well-being."[|[][|2][|]]Therapists, counselors, coaches, and various other psychological professionals can use the new methods and techniques to build and broaden the lives of individuals who are not necessarily suffering from [|mental illness or disorder]. Finally, other researchers have advocated grouping the 24 identified character traits into just four classes of strength (Intellectual, Social, Temperance, Transcendent) or even just three classes (without Transcendence). This, not just because it is easier to remember, but rather because there is evidence that these do an adequate job of capturing the components of the 24 original traits[|[][|3][|]].

List from the book
The organization of these virtues and strengths in the book is as follows.[|[][|1][|]]
 * **Wisdom and Knowledge** (strengths that involve the acquisition and use of knowledge)
 * [|creativity] (personified for example by [|Albert Einstein])
 * [|curiosity] (personified for example by [|John C. Lilly])
 * open-mindedness (personified for example by [|William James])
 * [|love of learning] (personified for example by [|Benjamin Franklin])
 * perspective and [|wisdom] (personified for example by [|Ann Landers]): the coordination of "knowledge and experience" and "its deliberate use to improve wellbeing."[|[][|4][|]] Many, but not all, studies find that adults' self-ratings of perspective/wisdom do not depend on age.[|[][|5][|]] This stands in contrast to the popular notion that wisdom increases with age.[|[][|5][|]]
 * **Courage** (strengths that allow one to accomplish goals in the face of opposition)
 * [|bravery] (personified for example by [|Ernest Shackleton])
 * persistence (personified for example by [|John D. Rockefeller])
 * [|integrity] (personified for example by [|Sojourner Truth])
 * vitality (personified for example by the [|Dalai Lama])
 * **[|Humanity]** (strengths of tending and befriending others)
 * [|love] (personified for example by [|Romeo and Juliet])
 * [|kindness] (personified for example by [|Cicely Saunders])
 * [|social intelligence] (personified for example by [|Robert Kennedy])
 * **Justice** (strengths that build healthy community)
 * [|active citizenship] / [|social responsibility] / [|loyalty] / [|teamwork] (personified for example by [|Sam Nzima])
 * fairness (personified for example by [|Mohandas Gandhi])
 * [|leadership]
 * **Temperance** (strengths that protect against excess)
 * [|forgiveness] and [|mercy] (personified for example by [|Pope John Paul II])
 * [|humility] and modesty (personified for example by [|Bill W.], co-founder of [|Alcoholics Anonymous])
 * [|prudence] (personified for example by [|Fred Soper])
 * self-regulation and [|self control] (personified for example by [|Jerry Rice])
 * **Transcendence** (strengths that forge connections to the larger universe and provide meaning)
 * [|appreciation of beauty] and appreciation of excellence (personified for example by [|Walt Whitman])
 * [|gratitude] (personified for example by [|G. K. Chesterton])
 * [|hope] (personified for example by [|Martin Luther King, Jr.])
 * humor and playfulness (personified for example by [|Mark Twain])
 * [|spirituality] (personified for example by [|Albert Schweitzer])

=**Gross National Happiness**= The concept of **gross national happiness** (**GNH**) was developed in an attempt to define an indicator that measures [|quality of life] or social progress in more [|holistic] and psychological terms than [|gross domestic product] (GDP). The term was coined in 1972 by [|Bhutan]'s former King [|Jigme Singye Wangchuck], who has opened [|Bhutan] to the age of modernization, soon after the demise of his father, King [|Jigme Dorji Wangchuk]. He used the phrase to signal his commitment to building an economy that would serve Bhutan's unique culture based on [|Buddhist] spiritual values. At first offered as a casual, offhand remark, the concept was taken seriously, as the [|Centre for Bhutan Studies], under the leadership of [|Karma Ura], developed a sophisticated survey instrument to measure the population's general level of well-being. The Canadian health epidemiologist [|Michael Pennock] had a major role in the design of the instrument, and uses (what he calls) a "de-Bhutanized" version of the survey in his work in Victoria, British Columbia. Ura and Pennock have also collaborated on the development of policy screening tools which can be used to examine the potential impacts of projects or programs on GNH. These tools are available on the grossnationalhappiness.com website. Like many psychological and social indicators, GNH is somewhat easier to state than to define with mathematical precision. Nonetheless, it serves as a unifying vision for Bhutan's five-year planning process and all the derived planning documents that guide the economic and development plans of the country. Proposed policies in Bhutan must pass a GNH review based on a GNH impact statement that is similar in nature to the [|Environmental Impact Statement] required for development in the U.S. The Bhutanese grounding in Buddhist ideals suggests that beneficial development of human society takes place when material and [|spiritual] development occur side by side to complement and reinforce each other. The four pillars of GNH are the promotion of [|sustainable development], preservation and promotion of [|cultural values], conservation of the [|natural environment], and establishment of [|good governance]. At this level of generality, the concept of GNH is transcultural—a nation need not be Buddhist in order to value sustainable development, cultural integrity, ecosystem conservation, and good governance. Through collaboration with an international group of scholars and empirical researchers the Centre for Bhutan Studies further defined these four pillars with greater specificity into eight general contributors to happiness- physical, mental and spiritual health; time-balance; social and community vitality; cultural vitality; education; living standards; good governance; and ecological vitality. Although the GNH framework reflects its Buddhist origins, it is solidly based upon the empirical research literature of happiness, positive psychology and wellbeing. As a chief economic indicator, [|GDP] has numerous flaws long known to economists. GDP measures the amount of commerce in a country, but counts remedial and defensive expenditures (such as the costs of security, police, pollution clean up, etc.) as positive contributions to commerce.[|[][|1][|]] A better measure of economic well-being would deduct such costs, and add in other non-market benefits (such as volunteer work, unpaid domestic work, and unpriced ecosystem services) in arriving at an indicator of well-being. As economic development on the planet approaches or surpasses the limits of ecosystems to provide resources and absorb human effluents, calling into question the ability of the planet to continue to support civilization (per the arguments of [|Jared Diamond], among others), many people have called for getting "Beyond GDP" (the title of a recent [//[|when?]//] EU conference) in order to measure progress not as the mere increase in commercial transactions, nor as an increase in specifically economic well-being, but as an increase in general well-being as people themselves subjectively report it. GNH is a strong contributor to this movement to discard measurements of commercial transactions as a key indicator and to instead directly assess changes in the social and psychological well-being of populations. While conventional development models stress economic growth as the ultimate objective, the concept of GNH is based on the premise that some forms of economic development are "uneconomic", a concept that is advanced by the nascent field of [|ecological economics]. Such development costs more in loss of ecosystem services, and in the imposition of "urban disamenities," than it produces as a positive contribution to well-being. (The difficulty, of course, is that for many forms of development, the gains are taken privately, while the costs the development imposes are born generally and publicly.)