What creates the circumstances where a person consistently provides near-perfect performance? Consider an athlete, a speaker, a business leader or a nurse. Is it luck, circumstances, natural talent or a combination of these? Fortunately, we now have scientific research that provides us with roadmaps or ways to increase our performance and it involves the study of the mind and behavior – psychology.
While the study of psychology dates back to the ancient Greeks, it only emerged as an independent scientific discipline in the 1870’s. These early years saw the development of many different theories or disciplines of psychology. In the 1950’s the first drugs for mental disorders were approved and the first edition of The Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the reference guide for psychology, was published. The DSM was only 132 pages in its first printing in 1954. In 2013 it was 991 pages for the fifth edition. Not that there is anything wrong with such a large reference source. It simply emphasizes the fact that the early years of understanding the human mind and behavior were focused on dysfunction.
In contrast the branch of psychology termed “positive psychology” came into being in the 1950’s when Abraham Maslow used the term in his book Motivation and Personality. Other psychologists, such as Erich Fromm and Carl Rogers added to Maslow’s contributions on human happiness. But it wasn’t until 1998 when Martin Seligman, Ph.D. become President of the American Psychological Association and chose Positive Psychology as the theme for his term that it began to move into the mainstream. A national conference on positive psychology was held in 1999 followed by an international conference in 2002. In 2003, the American Psychological Association honored Dr. Donald O. Clifton, developer of the CliftonStrengths® assessment, as the father of Strengths-Based Psychology, and the grandfather of Positive Psychology.
What will happen when we think about what is right with people rather than fixating on what is wrong with them?
–Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D. psychologist and business executive
(1924-2003)
Positive psychology analyzes states of happiness and flow, values, strengths, virtues and talents and how institutions (think education and workplace) contribute to these states. The focus is to help people live life to its fullest potential and is founded on the belief that people want more than an end to suffering. The Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania states “people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play.”
We are fortunate to live in these times, where we have moved beyond survival and addressing dysfunction. When you think, “why hasn’t the focus been on what’s right with people” and “why am I just now learning this” you know it is simply part of human evolution. Now that you know, it is your turn to do something about your performance. Just like anything else in life, it takes your action to make something of this information. Start with the CliftonStrengths® assessment and discover your natural talent.