{"id":354,"date":"2020-04-07T22:12:37","date_gmt":"2020-04-08T02:12:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/?p=354"},"modified":"2020-04-07T22:13:29","modified_gmt":"2020-04-08T02:13:29","slug":"glass-half-__________","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/?p=354","title":{"rendered":"Glass Half- __________?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was almost certainly a book. I\u2019d squeezed it, hefted it, held it up to the light. Naught for it, but to unwrap it. Hmm. Authentic Happiness<\/em>. Marty Seligman, the book\u2019s psychologist author, is something of a household name \u2014 well at least in my circumscribed \u2018household\u2019. He appeared on the radar many years ago for his research around something called \u2018learned helplessness\u2019 \u2014 a concept that examined the level of \u2018percieved control\u2019 we have over our lives as a contributing factor to our general mental health. In particular, the less \u2018felt\u2019 control, the more risk of developing problems, not the least of which was depression. <\/p>\n

Like a few such researchers, living on the \u2018dark side\u2019 of that psychological coin seemed to lose its appeal for Marty; and he began the shift to positive psychology. (Kristen Neff, another example, had morphed away from self esteem study, at best, the result of comparing self to others less fortunate, to the more uplifting concept of self compassion<\/em>.) My early 2000\u2019s Christmas gift was an overview of the benefits of focussing on potential over pathology, health over illness. (And, like any good psychological opus, a questionnaire is included to see where the reader lines up.)<\/p>\n

\"Screen<\/a><\/p>\n

These past few weeks, living in the COVID zone, daily changes and challenges preoccupy our information sources. The need for truthful, accurate reporting, updating is critical to choices we must make. There is absolutely no benefit in deluded, pollyanna rhetoric, trotted out for purely political gain (feel free to read between the lines). Putting a smiley face at the end of a communication ain\u2019t helpin’. Equally however, for the individual, mindset, perspective, attitude<\/em> are figural parts of our psychological tool kit. <\/p>\n

I\u2019ve become increasingly aware of the tenor and tone of posts, emails, telephone conversations that now form a very large part of my communication with \u2018outside world\u2019. A choir friend sends out daily \u2018alternative interpretations\u2019: \u2018stuck at home vs. safe at home<\/em>\u2019. A longtime physician acquaintance shared this animated post:
\n <\/p>\n

And our yoga instructor circulated a telling graphic:\"81ed6e45-1b5e-42eb-831d-05f3a998f1af\"<\/a><\/p>\n

As a card-carrying cynic and<\/em> extrovert, I\u2019m not an easy sell. But the arguments for borrowing a piece of Marty\u2019s happiness formula are compelling, crucial.<\/p>\n

Another brick in this necessary seawall of defence against the current viral tidal wave (and its attendant pounding on our mental health \u2014 anxiety, fear, and depression in the forefront) came through a New Yorker<\/em> piece this week. The article is built around the timing of Sir Isaac Newton\u2019s incredible contributions coinciding with his two years of \u2018self isolating\u2019, as the bubonic plague resurfaced in London in the 1660\u2019s and headed toward his then residence in Cambridge:<\/p>\n

Newton\u2019s home, a farm called Woolsthorpe, lay about sixty miles north of the university. Suitably distant from the nearest town, it was where, in near total solitude, he would invent calculus, create the science of motion, unravel gravity, and more. The plague created the conditions in which modern science could be created. . .
\n<\/em>
\nThe author, unfortunately, goes on to argue that attributing his epiphanies to his retreat setting is over-simplifying, unscientific, and refutable \u2014 no shit, Sherlock. But you can bet your gravitational pull that it sure didn\u2019t hurt! Personally, the article\u2019s negative spin did little to undermine my growing awareness that embracing our sequestered seclusion is a \u2018best\u2019 mindset. Coincidentally a time of productive reflection and thought, isolated from, if not the worries and uncertainties, at least the (frequently self-imposed and artificial) deadlines and intrusions. This is not simply making lemonade (when we\u2019re given lemons) or floating along in a Neverland of false hope and misinformation. This is a time to celebrate the answer to the too often asked question: \u2018When will I find the time?\u2019 Newsflash: the time is now!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was almost certainly a book. I\u2019d squeezed it, hefted it, held it up to the light. Naught for it, but to unwrap it. Hmm. Authentic Happiness. Marty Seligman, the book\u2019s psychologist author, is something of a household name \u2014 well at least in my circumscribed \u2018household\u2019. He appeared on the radar many years ago […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/354"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=354"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/354\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":371,"href":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/354\/revisions\/371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}