So business as usual psychology or traditional psychology focuses intently on what's wrong with people , focus on mental illness and the curing of mental illness . Apply positive psychology , focus on what's right with people on their signature strengths , their values , their character traits , and how you can actually double down on your strengths and make life even better . So Marty Selman , who was the godfather , really , the grandfather of positive psychology started his career , really studying like learned helplessness and depression and , and all that stuff .
Although it helps to do happy things , happiness is not what you think . Although it helps to think happy thoughts , happiness is what you are . So it's not a lifestyle status .
Rather than , hey , look at all the great things that happened today . And I thought what a different life , it would be a different world , it would be if we could focus on the positive , if we could become happier people . And I just feel like there's more unhappy people than there is happy .
There's this and it's this positive upward spiral or loop where happy people turn out to be a lot more altruistic , they give more blood , they donate more money , all the things they're kinder and also being kinder , being more altruistic , being more giving in a no strings attached sort of way makes you happier , right ? So there's this positive upward spiral that happens with happiness and generosity of kindness . And so you can kind of get there either way .
So that just what you shared is something I discovered and it blew me away because you're right . There's this and it's this positive upward spiral or loop where happy people turn out to be a lot more altruistic , they give more blood , they donate more money , all the things they're kinder and also being kinder , being more altruistic , being more giving in a no strings attached sort of way makes you happier , right ? So there's this positive upward spiral that happens with happiness and generosity of kindness .
