On Foundations of Positive Psychology

  Authentic Happiness, Martin Seligman's intriguing book on positive psychology, is full of hidden gems.  A good example is his portrayal of the valiant efforts to lay solid foundations for this youthful branch of psychology,

Inspired by the precedent set by the DSM III, Seligman helped spearhead the efforts to "sponsor the creation of a classification of the sanities as the backbone of Positive Psychology".  This entailed tapping from the rich wells of religious and philosophical writings that included The Bible, Talmud, Koran, Plato, Aristotle, and the Upanishads.

This wealth of thinking traditions that traversed three thousand years was used to create a universal taxonomy of six core virtues:

-       Wisdom and knowledge

-       Courage

-       Love and humanity

-       Justice

-       Temperance

-       Spirituality and transcendence

Discovering about these backbones of the science of the good life makes my reading feel like a treasure hunt.  Indeed, it energizes me to keep on reading to find more hidden gems inside this intriguing book.