Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology

Martin Seligman is the founder of the psychology of joy and happiness. This American scientist created a unique concept of positive thinking, which positively affects the mind. In his books, he clearly identified a set of feelings, states of man, helping to nurture a unique ability to enjoy life. Martin Seligman developed the so-called "scientific view of happiness." This approach contributes to the formation of the personality, its further development and self-improvement. They made an attempt to explain to the world that one can endlessly be in search of happiness and never find it, if one does not know for sure which way to go. When the direction of the movement is known, from any situation it is possible to find a worthy exit in the shortest possible time.

University of Pennsylvania Played a special role in the life of the scientist. At first, he studied there, and then organized in his own center of positive psychology. The University of Pennsylvania was a sacred place where he could come in special thoughts and a desire to sit over his books.

The syndrome of "learned helplessness"

So the scientist called the state in which during the action of the external stimulus there was complete passivity, unwillingness to act in such a way as to change the situation for the better. He conducted a scientific experiment, during which it became clear that some people and animals, encountering obstacles, give in advance and do not make any attempts to improve their situation. Martin Seligman very carefully studied the nature of these individuals and accurately determined that it became habitual for them to endure inconveniences, always to be a victim. The more such experience there is for a person, the harder is his belief that the world is against him. As a rule, a person with similar problems never seeks help from others, strives to do everything himself. He so does not believe in his own prospects, that he does not seek to develop himself, to build big plans.

The syndrome of learned helplessness can otherwise be called voluntary slavery or excessive compliance. Such people most often live by the needs of others, forgetting about their own preferences. Loneliness is their characteristic feature, since sacrifice is not necessary for everyone.

The phenomenon of conscious optimism

In the course of the experiment, it was found that, despite significant inconveniences, some individuals preferred to maintain a positive attitude at all costs . They tried to maintain a good mood and, fortunately, even in the most difficult moments they did it. The phenomenon of conscious optimism lies in the fact that a person chooses joy through volitional effort, and deliberately does not focus on the bad. It is about this phenomenon tells Martin Seligman. How to learn optimism?

To do this, one must have a strong will and be able to look to the future with hope. Of course, you need to develop an appropriate habit. Otherwise, you will constantly feel that you are behaving extremely unnaturally. One who has become accustomed to concentrating on problems actually resists the universal flow of well-being. It is very difficult to convince such people that life can be pleasant and happy, and not just a heavy, unbearable burden.

The study of the inner world of man, the causes of his spiritual contradictions, is the science of psychology. Martin Seligman Could prove experimentally that each of us carries out his choice individually and bears responsibility for him. However, not every person is ready to accept this truth. Many people find it convenient to consider themselves unsuccessful.

Positive Psychology

Martin Seligman Spent many hours studying the character traits of a person that are characteristic of happy people. He has proved by numerous studies that the ability to rejoice and appreciate life does not come in one moment. This should be studied, as well as the ability to play violin virtuoso.

First of all, a person should strive for personal growth. In all circumstances, the focus on results helps to cultivate a positive attitude towards the surrounding reality. Only in this case he will not be afraid of any defeat. Failures happen to everyone. But not everyone is able to step through them safely and move on with his head held high. Most people, unfortunately, surrender, being in the prime of their creative possibilities. The researcher makes a strong emphasis on the fact that in search of happiness it is so important not to forget about yourself, your desires and possibilities. This is how the fullness of life is achieved.

Publications

Martin Seligman is a great master of psychology. He created several talented works that are of scientific interest and are very popular. Acquaintance with them will be extremely useful for those who aspire to self-improvement, wants to work out the existing problems in communicating with other people.

"Helplessness"

This study explains the nature of the internal vulnerability of a person: how it is formed, under the influence of which it grows and develops. Helplessness is formed due to the expressed inability of the individual to stand up for themselves, to value their own skills, to defend an individual position. Underestimated self-esteem, constant reproaches of relatives and ignorance of their abilities turn into a great personal tragedy. A person is simply lost as an individual.

"Psychology of Deviations"

This work is devoted to the problems of brain damage due to the disorder of its functions. The psychology of deviations explains why people act in one way or another, sometimes acting to the detriment of themselves and others.

"Optimism that can be learned"

The ability to think positively is very valuable. Such a person at any time can psychologically protect himself from the impact of any negative factors, get away from disturbing feelings of the soul. In order to learn positive thinking, there is no need to invent anything supernatural. You just need to know the characteristics of your inner world and be able to protect it from the influence of energy vampires. The author of the study emphasizes that the main force lies in the hands of the person himself, only he decides how it is better for him to act in this or that case.

Thus, Martin Seligman is a significant figure in psychology. Thanks to his remarkable research, many people have the opportunity to look at the familiar world differently, to work effectively on themselves.