The Science Of Happiness

But "authentic happiness," as Seligman defines it, is not about maximizing utility or managing our moods. It's about outgrowing our obsessive concern with how we feel. Life in the upper half of one's set range may be pleasant, but is it productive or meaningful? Does it stand for anything beyond itself? These questions push the boundaries of a psychologist's traditional turf, but Seligman tackles them with refreshing clarity. Beyond pleasure lies what he terms "gratification," the enduring fulfillment that comes from developing one's strengths and putting them to positive use. Half of us may lack the genes for bubbly good cheer, he reasons, but no one lacks nascent strengths or the capacity to nurture them. What Gavagan has accomplished in the past year is a near-perfect embodiment of kindness, one of the two dozen strengths that Seligman and his colleagues have cataloged. She now hopes to save another child's heart every September. And she herself will be richer for it.

WITH ANNE UNDERWOOD

© 2002