Positive psychology refers to a science of positive features of human life, for instance, flourishing, well-being and happiness. According to the words of Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology, it is the scientific research of best human functioning that focuses on discovering and enhancing the features that permit people and communities to thrive. Psychology has mostly stressed the disadvantages of people other than their potentials. However, this specific approach concentrates on the potentials rather than targets on fixing the problems. It focuses on studying things that make life worthwhile to live in. Thus, positive psychology is not concerned with the transformation of negativities but how to bring positivity. The orientation in psychology was developed in the past decade and has been a rapidly developing field of study. The aspiration of the study is to bring tangible, pragmatic research into fields such as flow, well-being, individual strengths, creativity, wisdom, psychological health as well as institutions and positive group characteristics (Donaldson et al. 2015).
There are three levels of positive psychology in which it operates, for example, the individual, group and subjective levels. The subjective level entails studying positive experiences for instance satisfaction, well-being, happiness, contentment, flow and optimism. The level is characterised by feeling good as opposed to being a good person or doing good. The individual level aims at identifying the elements of good life and the individual qualities that are essential for being a good individual through the research of human strengths as well as virtues, courage, capability for love, future-mindedness, positive institutions, courage, originality, perseverance, forgiveness, giftedness, interpersonal skills and wisdom. Lastly, regarding community or group level, the focus is on civic virtues, nurturance, social responsibilities, civility, altruism, work ethics, tolerance, positive instructions and other features that contribute to the establishment of communities and citizenship (Pawelski, 2016).
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There are various reasons why we have positive psychology. For most of the psychology’s integration, psychology, occasionally mentioned as psychology, as usual, has been dealing with negative features of human life. Interest have been there such as optimism, wisdom and creativity; however, they have not been put together by any major theory rather than a broad, all-embracing model. This adverse condition was not in the former intention of the first psychologists; however, it came up as a result of historical accident. Before World War II, psychology had three responsibilities. These included curing the psychological illness, advancing the normal lives as well as ascertaining and cultivating high talent. But, after the war, the latter two responsibilities to an extent disappeared leaving psychology to dwell mostly on curing mental illness. Provided that psychology as a science is dependent mostly on the government agencies funds, logically, it is easier to note what took place after the Second World War. So as to deal with human catastrophe on such a big scale, all the existing resources were directed into learning about as well as psychological illness curing and psychotherapy.
Thus, psychology came to function within a model of disease which has proven paramount. According to Martin Seligman, highlights of the success of the disease control approach, which are, for instance, 14 formerly untreated mental illness including personality condition, depression as well as anxiety attacks, can now be successfully cured. On the contrary, the costs of adopting the disease approach entail the negative opinion of psychologists as pathologists and victimologists, which is the failure to tackle the enhancement of normal lives as well as the identification and nurturing of high talent. The majority of psychologists admit that they have little knowledge of the things that make life worthwhile to live or what means the normal persons flourish under common, as opposed to, extreme conditions.
Evaluation of My Two Personal Strengths of Psychology in Relation to Human Motivation
First, I will evaluate my goal setting as a personal strength. I am always looking for opportunities to further my preset goals. Immediately I have this attention; I must always be quick as well as to the point. I have to feel that what I am going to say is specific, factual and important to my self-interest such as financial, physical, social or professional among others. The more I can identify with my goals, the better. If possible, I have to frame the content of the message according to my value of achieving, power and profit. I have to feel as well that others understand and respect my values and that they have something of pragmatic importance to offer me. My competitiveness is based on the byproduct of an enthusiastic belief in the scarcity principle, the belief that the world is a zero-sum game. In this way, I feel motivated in every aspect of my life.
Second, my narcissistic nature has enabled me to focus on myself. I spend an excessive amount of time listening to my achievements as proof of my greatness, and it is impossible to have a conversation that is balanced with me as I will pay no attention to what others say. Rarely do I listen since I strategize conversations to redirect back to me.
How Personal Strengths Relate to Motivation
Personal strength such as goal setting is essential in guiding me towards defined objectives whereas motivation is my psychological catalyst I need to achieve my goal. Thus, the lack of goal setting and the needed motivation for the achievement of my goal, are purposeless and without direction. Motivation is essential since it impacts my mental alongside my physical reactions. Therefore, I have the willingness to conduct a task efficiently and effectively. In addition, as a narcissist, I appear to be high in the need for success and low in the necessity of association. Thus, I am preoccupied with the dreams of being successful and investing in showing superiority in relation to others. This shows my specific feature of the need for success. My need for success portrays my dispositional aspiration to gain completeness.
How State-of-the-Art Interventions Can Positively Impact My Personal Strengths
Interventions such as goal setting is a component of treatment package as well as other intervention components which include contracting, conducting self-monitoring, re-enforcing and obtaining feedback. Goal setting can affect my personal strength by assisting me to accomplish independent functioning. Also, interventions for narcissism involves complimenting the individual for activities well done, resisting the urge to tossing out an insult and focusing on only measurable outcomes as a result of certain actions as well as naming indirect impacts that may spark behavior change.
How Enhancing My Personal Strengths Can Increase Life Quality
An effective setting of goal process should allow my finite individual, emotional alongside financial resources towards attaining the goals that are important in every feature of my life. This provides me with a more sense of balance as well as limits the circumstances I slip into a vertigo of goal setting. To be efficient, the process of goal setting should allow me for positive outcomes that are achievable to me throughout different backgrounds and varying occupations. There are certain features of effective goal setting such as putting in writing individuals goals (Layous et al. 2013).
These goals are as well shared to others to support me or to other authority that will be willing to serve me as an active contributor throughout my goal process. The goals should be understandable in the fields of individual, business, family and finance. Besides, it must have proximal stages to completion though it should be challenging, achievable and believable. The goal setting has to pass through a reality check and be accomplished by every participant on an individual basis. After that, it has to be reviewed to allow for modifications as well as adjustments on a regular basis (Carr et al. 2014). Further, healthy narcissism can increase the quality of life by having a strong feeling of self-love, which is important in protecting humans against illness. Thus, it requires individuals to love other, that is, the item loves not to be ill. The person becomes ill due to frustration generated when they cannot love the item.
References
Carr, M. E., Moore, D. W., & Anderson, A. (2014). Goal setting interventions: Implications for participants on the autism spectrum. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders , 1 (3), 225-241.
Donaldson, S. I., Dollwet, M., & Rao, M. A. (2015). Happiness, excellence, and optimal human functioning revisited: Examining the peer-reviewed literature linked to positive psychology. The Journal of Positive Psychology , 10 (3), 185-195.
Layous, K., Nelson, S. K., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2013). What is the optimal way to deliver a positive activity intervention? The case of writing about one’s best possible selves. Journal of Happiness Studies , 14 (2), 635-654.
Pawelski, J. O. (2016). Defining the ‘positive’in positive psychology: Part II. A normative analysis. The Journal of Positive Psychology , 11 (4), 357-365.
