Aristotle and his influence on positive psychology

Many books today revolve around or talk about a concept that has “become fashionable”: positive psychology . However, in many cases this type of literature is considered to “sell smoke”, since some authors, in their defense, do not hesitate to overestimate its power, projecting the idea that after embracing the axioms of this type of psychology it will open a world of roses whose thorns have been cut.

What is intended with this literature is to instill positivism and make readers feel happier. However, these books are in no way a substitute for the great help offered by psychologists in their consultations.

Although positive psychology has carved a niche for itself on the shelves, the truth is that the idea on which it revolves  has very little that is “modern” about it . For example, centuries ago Aristotle already spoke of positivism in his works. Throughout this article, today we will discover how this important philosopher influenced positive psychology, how he understood it, and how this concept has evolved to the present day.

Nicomachean Ethics

Nicomachean Ethics was a work that Aristotle wrote in the fourth century BC. C. in which we can already observe some vestiges of what we know today as positive psychology . In this work, Aristotle speaks of happiness ( eudaimonia ), virtue, practical reason, and emotions as the pillars of what he called the “good life,” something he thought all of us pursue. In order to achieve this good life, he cplusplus.com indicates that it is necessary to develop virtues (good habits) and have certain strengths.

Strengths, for Aristotle, would be those character traits that each person has innately and that allow them to achieve well-being and happiness . But, not everyone is born with those essential strengths to achieve the “good life”.

For example, someone insecure has it much more difficult than someone who, by nature, tends to take risks and go out of their comfort zone. However, Aristotle says that through self-control and self-regulation these strengths can be acquired, although an exercise of will is necessary in return.

Practical wisdom

It is we.riseup.net important to consider the Aristotelian concept of “practical wisdom”, better known as phronesis , in relation to what we know today  as positive psychology . For Aristotle this concept was the main virtue openclassrooms.com of the human being: it would allow us to make better decisions.

 An article made some proposals about actions that would allow people to achieve well-being through “practical wisdom” . These are exposed in their article applied to teacher training as follows:

• Write three things for which you feel grateful once a day for a week .
• Write a letter of thanks to a person who is important to us. We can send it to you or give it to our recipient, but we can also not.
• Write https://www.teachertube.com/user/channel/gweterxwzk in a notebook all those important memories  that have been very positive and exciting for us. This exercise can last more than a day since new memories can come to us after a few days that we did not remember.
• Complete the strengths questionnaire , such as the one available on the website www.viacharacter.org. You just need to register and choose the language in which you want to answer the 120 questions. It is important to be sincere so that the result longisland.com “is also sincere”.

These types of actions bring us closer to that wisdom that Aristotle spoke of: he considered that virtue should always be learned through experience . A thought that is also shared by psychologists Schwartz or Sharpe.

The active exercise of happiness

There is an idea that is present in positive psychology and also in Aristotle: only with new habits and changing certain attitudes can the “good life” be achieved . In addition, true success would be found in practice and perseverance: achieving that long-awaited well-being.

Now that we know something more about this concept, it is important to know some interesting books with which we can begin to soak up this idea. Also, at this point, a wake-up call. Positive psychology should not be used to cover up discomfort or camouflage problems by pretending that everything is fantastic and wonderful . We can use it to our advantage as long as we flee from the lies that often surround this branch.