PERMA

 

"To see a world in a grain of sand" has become a favorite refrain.  Each time I explore the works of great thinkers, I wonder how they have dived into their respective area of expertise.  

A case in point is Positive Psychology.  I am not sure how I came across it initially, but I admire the works of Martin Seligman, who really did a lot to steer psychology that way.  

I am grateful to learn that happiness is more than having a cheery face.  In fact, I am thankful that I learned that well-being or flourishing are more apt words to describe the exalted state that brings the best in us.

Learning that well-being or flourishing has five measurable dimensions was both novel and fascinating discovery for me.  There I was usually equating happiness with sunny temperament only to discover how unenlightened I was.  Along came PERMA, the acronym for the five dimensions of well-being, and I found a new world.

Now, we may not measure well across all the five dimensions; however, positive psychology promises methods to maximize our scores along all five to take us to the best versions of ourselves.  

When we unpack the acronym, we get:

Positive Affect: this may be likened to a smiley face. Not all happy people, or people who are flourishing have positive affect. However, because it is measurable, we can scale ourselves up along this dimension (some more than others)

Engagement:  we are so engrossed in what we do that we lose the sense of time. Flow is the term used to describe this. Flow/engagement is not limited to a certain fields or aspects of life. It is a universal phenomenon that is a foundation for well-being.

Relationships: creating and maintaining positive relationships with other people is a signature trait of flourishing people. They are selective of their company and maintain relationships since they are aware that we are fundamentally social creatures. They understand their responsibilities to their acquaintances and friends. More importantly, they know that other people have a craving to help, so they let them help and partake in the fulfilment that helping others provides.

Meaning: Viktor Frankl captured this well when he based his logotherapy on this foundational human need. We all seek a meaningful life. Attaining it is a precondition to flourishing or well-being.

Accomplishment: setting targets and achieving them is a sin qua non when it comes to flourishing as human beings. We have been described as teleologic creatures and accomplishment is part of our make-up for the flourishing life.

I love this model.  It forced me to rethink what happiness means to me.  Hopefully, I use it to guide my life.  Even if I do not succeed in that endeavor, I cherish the learning experience.