The scientific breakdown of how to feel fulfilled and purposeful, which is, in effect, what “happy” really is. Although the author goes to great pains to deny that this is another “how to be happy” book, that is exactly what it is. The author calls this “flow” state an “optimal experience” and breaks down exactly the conditions needed to get into flow, and maintain it.īut this is not just a matter for enjoying work and performing at your best - this is about the pursuit of happiness itself. Don’t we all wish we could work in that mindset all the time? But doesn’t it feel like completely unpredictable magic? Sometimes work is an effort, and sometimes it’s a joy. You feel lighter, faster, smarter, more clever. You lose sense of time, you lose sense of effort. If you have ever been “in the zone” or, as the author calls it, “flow” in any activity (art, writing, cooking, sports, physical activity) you know the joy of getting completely absorbed in what you are doing. UPDATE: If you want to read what we’re reading, check out our complete book list on Amazon.įlow, the Psychology of Optimal Experience was one of those books that’s been recommended a ton of times, and it was sitting on my pile for a while, but once I finally picked it up and got 5 pages in I kicked myself for waiting even a moment’s delay. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience teaches how, by ordering the information that enters our consciousness, we can discover true happiness and greatly improve the quality of our lives.Book Notes: Where we read and condense books down to their main takeaways for creatives, with a look at our own notes from reading. In this new edition of his groundbreaking classic work, Csikszentmihalyi demonstrates the ways this positive state can be controlled, not just left to chance. During flow, people typically experience deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's famous investigations of 'optimal experience' have revealed that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow.

Harper Perennial modern classics Harper Perennial modern classics. New York : Harper Perennial, 2008, c1990. Saved in: Bibliographic Details Author / Creator:

The psychology of optimal experience