Discuss Seligman's authentic happiness and well-being theories

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

In 2002 Seligman (Seligman, 2002) proposed a theory of authentic happiness consisting of three elements: (1) positive emotion, (2) engagement, and (3) meaning. By 2011 he broadened his focus and formulated a new perspective he labels well-being theory. As Seligman (2011, p. 23) states, "I used to think that the topic of positive psychology was happiness, that the gold standard for measuring happiness was life satisfaction, and that the goal of positive psychology was to increase life satisfaction. I now think that the topic of positive psychology is well-being, that the gold standard for measuring well-being is flourishing, and that the goal of positive psychology is to increase flourishing.".

Seligman's (2011) well-being theory retains the three elements of (1) positive emotion, (2) engagement, and (3) meaning that define authentic happiness, but he adds two additional elements of (4) positive relationships and (5) accomplishment to his more broadly defined construct of well-being. Positive emotion is self-explanatory. Engagement refers to experiencing flow, of losing oneself in a challenging activity. Seligman defines meaning and purpose in life as factors that bring about service or belonging to something beyond the self. Positive relationships involve our connections with other people. Last, accomplishment refers to the act of achieving. Seligman believes that people often pursue achievements just to experience achieving, rather than necessarily using achievement as a means toward experiencing good feelings, flow, or meaning.