HSA 1 - Happier Talk with Professor Barbara Fredrickson

Am I a good parent? Am I a better parent than I was 10 years ago? Are mistakes an important part of parenting? Would you like to be the perfect parent or the good enough parent? If we had such a perfect parent would that be good for us? Would we prevent the child from the opportunity for growth and development? What are the three things that Positive Psychology and the Science of Happiness can teach us about becoming better parents?

What can organizations do to flourish? What can companies learn from positive psychology—the science of happiness—that can help them become better, more engaging, and more energizing? Today we are joined by a world-leading expert in the field of positive organizations, and she will help us focus on what we can do to bring more happiness to life—in our home, workplace, and in our community.

What is more important for you, to focus on your weaknesses or focus on your strengths? When this question was posed to over a million people around the world, the overwhelming majority said weaknesses. It turns out that the majority of people, in this case, were wrong. Those who primarily focus on and then exercise their strengths are happier, more successful, both at home and at work. But just deciding to focus on strengths is not always enough. Today we will discuss how to put our best side to work, so that we can fulfill our potential and flourish, as parents, partners, friends, and professionals.

What are your strengths? And why does it matter? It turns out that focusing on your own and others’ strengths is the way to fulfill your potential as a student and a teacher, as a parent, partner, and professional. But how do we identify our strengths, and how do we identify others’ strengths? It’s exactly what we’ll be discussing today on Happier Talk.

When leaders in an organization thrive, the organization as a whole is likely to thrive. So how can we help leaders realize their potential for personal growth? What is “proactive transparency”? What can an individual do to increase the likelihood of climbing the organizational ladder? What is unique about the Millennials? In this interview, author and lecturer Karissa Thacker addresses these and other questions.

Is technology good or bad? What is the place of friendship and intimacy in the age of virtual relationships? What are the psychological benefits of the internet? Is there a “right amount” or a “maximum amount” of time that we should spend online? What can parents and schools do in our modern world to ensure that our children grow up to be healthy adults? What is digital literacy? Yair Amichai-Hamburger, a world-leading researcher on the influences of technology.

Traditionally when people thought about addiction, they thought about some form of drug or alcohol dependence. Over the past few decades a new class of addictions has emerged as a result of technology, making addiction a much more pervasive phenomenon, causing much misery to millions the world over. Though traditionally the realm of addiction was the of clinical psychology or psychopathology, today we’re going to look at how positive psychology can help!

What are the benefits of meditation? How can we learn to persist, to regularly practice meditation so that we can benefit from it? Is taking time to meditate selfish? How can meditation, which is intensely personal, connect us to other people, and the world around us? World famous meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg reflects on these questions. You can also join Sharon in this video as she leads two brief meditations.

Beyond the fact that it feels good to feel good, why are positive emotions important? What is the “Broaden and Build” theory? What is “Love 2.0” and can lowering the bar where love is concerned actually make us happier? In this episode of Happier Talk, world renowned psychologist Barbara Fredrickson answers these questions, and provides advice on how we can lead a happier life.