Life Goals and Well-Being: Towards a Positive Psychology of Human Striving [Paperback]

Peter Schmuck (Editor), Kennon M. Sheldon (Editor), Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0889372446 | ISBN-13: 978-0889372443 | Publication Date: July 15, 2001 | Edition: 1st

Everybody wants to be happy and so sets him- or herself particular life goals. But which life goals really make us happy? This question has been debated for centuries, but it is only in recent years that psychological research has started to approach it in a systematic fashion. The popularity of the current movement towards a "positive psychology" is a clear sign that interest in this and related areas is growing rapidly. In this work, results are presented from researchers around the world on which goals actually help to lead to happiness, and thus to physical and mental well-being. The findings are surprising, not least because they are (at least in part) in contradiction to the goals typical of a western lifestyle.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"But in my opinion the volume in your hands defies the norm. It is a collection that will be relevant for many years to come, one that is unlikely to be rendered obsolete by the choice of an excessively esoteric paradigm or a quickly dated jargon. The studies reported here deal with enduring aspects of the human condition, and they are reported in a clear and rigorous way. "The critique of homo economicus emerging from these pages is good news indeed. It suggests that evolution may have programmed us not just to be selfish, but also to pursue goals that transcend individual self-interest. "The studies presented here are likely to lay the foundations for an extremely important branch in the emerging field of positive psychology. Integration with an ever more complex system is not only the way to personal well-being, but also to social health - and to the evolution of better cultural forms. It is for this reason that I doubt future scholars will leave this volume unread on their shelves - I believe we shall all return again and again to consult its pages." From the Foreword by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Claremont, CA

Product Details

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: Hogrefe & Huber Publishing; 1st edition (July 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0889372446
• ISBN-13: 978-0889372443
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #339,121 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)