theories about optimal psych

Self determination theory, flow, positive psychology.

In a sense they talk about how a good life would look like, or actually looks like.

Yet looking at how happy or healthy people live does not necessarily prove this is the right way to go.

First there is caustion opacity. A heappy person behaves "authentic" does things for their inherent sake and so on. But possoibly when you are happy or rich (rich in the emotional sense) it makes sense that you will enjoy what you do be whole with yoruself etc. etc. It is not clear what is causing what.

Another issue is whether creating these condition intentionally will be of any use. When "creating" a situation it suffers from many problems. It is clearly not the very thing you are trying to imitate.

Thinking about psychopaths, for example. It is a better card to be dealt not being born or raised into psychopathy. Yet, for that very perosn that happened to be in this emotional and behavioral package, it is unclear whether higher emotinal sensitivity will be adaptive. he may not be able to handle life with more emotional connection. he may even lose his earlier learned ways and trciks how to find his way around the xomplex realisties of being.


I fully agree that we can learn a lot from cuntional life, and try to imitate it. I am only presenting: 1) skepticism, which stems from lack of rigorous proofs for the value of most of the research (correlation does not prove ausation. etc.) 2) Applicability question. When and how is it realitic to transfer what we learn from the functional life to the non functional.

I must admit that John Gottman holds that the way to create functional relationships is to learn from the working ones. And I have much value to him (except that I am worried that there are not enough ppl following his advice which again shows how in reality ppl do not follow sensible advice). I do not know.