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In Flow, Csikszentmihalyi tackles happiness itself. This is not to be mistaken for a work of philosophy, however; the author is a psychologist, and turns to his studies to uncover the times we feel happiest. His thesis is that happiness (not to be mistaken for pleasure) is greatest when a person is in a condition called 'flow' - a condition of 'optimal experience'. When you're in flow, your attention is willfully directed at the task at hand; you feel challenged, but you're skills are adequate to meet the challenge; you're immersed, and engaged in an activity for it's own sake. You're 'in the groove', if you will. Different people are happiest doing different things, but the language they use to describe their experience is remarkably universal. Csikszentmihalyi tries to isolate the characteristics of a flow experience. You're most likely to be in flow when the task has a goal; when there's immediate feedback to your actions; when there's a balance between challenge and skill; when there's no worry of failure; and so on. His account is believable, and fairly objective. Of course, 'Flow' isn't an entirely empirical account. Csikszentmihalyi inserts liberal doses of speculation, and his writing carries heavy undertones of personal philosophy. Usually, this is a good thing. His attitude is stimulating, and you'll be inspired to lead a intense, proactive life. Sometimes, however, I felt that he was a bit too opinionated; for instance, his comments regarding television watching felt rather unbalanced, and his belligerence on this topic detracts from the impact of his more objective discussions. Overall, however, 'Flow' is an awesome book, and it's an important book. I can think of no one I wouldn't wholeheartedly recommend it to. If you place importance on happiness - and especially if you don't, I suppose - e sure to check it out.

2022-11-14 17:12