Do the preparation task first. Then listen to the audio and do the exercises.
Preparation
Transcript
Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the first lecture of our new course in Positive Psychology. While some people may associate psychology with looking at what's wrong with us, and at what problems we have, there is much more to psychology than that. Positive psychology, for example, looks at how to help people become happier.
This lecture begins with a question: what makes a happy life?
Now, I'm going to give you one possible answer. A happy life is a life in which you are completely absorbed in what you do. Now, how does this compare with what you and your partner said?
This answer comes from the work of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and the theory of flow. Csikszentmihalyi is a psychologist who has spent much of his professional life on the study of what makes people happy and how we can find happiness.
Csikszentmihalyi suggests the theory that happiness is not caused by external events or things that happen to us. Our perception of these things and how we see these events either makes us happy or sad. In other words, if we want happiness, we have to actively look for it. However, this does not mean that we should always look for happiness! Csikszentmihalyi believed that our happiest moments happen when we are in a state of flow.
The theory of flow can be summarised like this: when we are totally involved in, or focused on, what we are doing, we are in a state of flow.
Csikszentmihalyi got the inspiration for this theory when he noticed how artists worked in a studio. They completely lost track of time, they didn't notice they were hungry or tired, and they could work for hours, even days, without stopping. Anyone I have spoken to who has experienced this state of concentration has said it's difficult to explain. The best way to explain it is that it is like being in a river and the flow of the water carries you away.
For the rest of this lecture, I will explore this theory of flow in more detail. First we will look at Csikszentmihalyi's life, and how it influenced his ideas. Then we will look at the conditions that go with a state of flow. What creates flow, exactly? Finally, we will look at activities that can help us achieve flow in our everyday lives. Will this course make you happy for life? Well, maybe. Maybe.
Right, let's get started. If you look at the next slide …
Sure. I have been in state of flow when I aa playing intellectual games with my friends ( bar quiz).Usually, I am really absorbed to find correct answer and win first place. We have constant team and play weekly.
Yes, i have been in a srate of flow, when i was in an exam, i completely lost track of time and i was just concentrated on my paper.
Yes, when I study something interesting to me.
Yes, I have been in a state of flow, while I was reading something interesting.
Yes, i had been in a state of flow while i was playing games.
Yes, I've been in a state of flow while I am listening to the radio.
yes i have been in a sate of flow during my ielts course
Yes. It was about a year ago when I was going into my small business. I was working for hours without stopping.
I remember one time when I was preparing for the university entrance exam. It was like I lose track of time and everythings around me, there were just me and the lesson, it was also like while I am in a dream: my body was light and my mind have nothing but the numbers, words and formulas. And when my perceptions of time and things come back, I feel surprised at my absorption and what I have done with the lesson. I think that's the state of flow to be mentioned in the lecture.
Thanks.
I have been in a state of flow when writing or studying some things about my college career.