I've been bothered about time generally and our tripartite division of time into past, present, and future. I think I know what the past is, and I think I know what future is, but I'm really not comfortable with the notion of present. Martin Seligman bothercomfortabledivision share on social
If the point of the inner-child movement is to cure adult problems, it doesn't work. Reliving childhood traumas gives you a nice afterglow, but it lasts only for hours or days. There is no evidence it changes adult problems. Martin Seligman adultafterglowchild share on social
We have children to pursue other elements of well-being. We want meaning in life. We want relationships. Martin Seligman childelementlife Change image and share on social
On the relationship side, if you teach people to respond actively and constructively when someone they care about has a victory, it increases love and friendship and decreases the probability of depression. Martin Seligman activelycareconstructively share on social
What humans want is not just happiness. They want justice; they want meaning. Martin Seligman happinesshumanjustice Change image and share on social
The belief that we can rely on shortcuts to happiness, joy, rapture, comfort, and ecstasy, rather than be entitled to these feelings by the exercise of personal strengths and virtues, leads to legions of people who, in the middle of great wealth, are starving spiritually. Martin Seligman beliefcomfortecstasy share on social
In human history, we are going from knowledge to omniscience, from potence to omnipotence, from ethics and religion to righteousness. So, in my view, God comes at the end of this long process. This may not happen in our lifetimes or even in the lifetime of our species. Martin Seligman endethicgod share on social
The word 'happiness' always bothered me, partly because it was scientifically unwieldy and meant a lot of different things to different people, and also because it's subjective. Martin Seligman botherhappinesslot Change image and share on social
Positive emotion alienated from the exercise of character leads to emptiness, to inauthenticity, to depression, and, as we age, to the gnawing realization that we are fidgeting until we die. Martin Seligman agealienatecharacter Change image and share on social
It's my belief that, since the end of the Second World War, psychology has moved too far away from its original roots, which were to make the lives of all people more fulfilling and productive, and too much toward the important, but not all-important, area of curing mental illness. Martin Seligman areabeliefcure share on social
