Timothy T.C. So

“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” Albert Einstein I have been thinking about writing a year-end article for PositivePsychologyNews.com about my…

To further elaborate on why the riches are not equivalent to happiness, I adopt the approach used by Daniel Kahneman, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, of looking at happiness as moment-to-moment experience instead of general well-being or flourishing. When we break down happiness into moment-to-moment experience, riches do not necessarily make people happier. Why not?

The emphasis of positive psychology on building the best things in life and making people’s lives fulfilling does not imply that we should ignore problems or dismiss the negative emotions…

“People who post smiley photos on Facebook/Frowners attract happy friends.” (Nature, 2008) Social Networks and Happiness Would you be surprised to read the above finding from Nature, one of the…

Friends are approaching me with great interest in my preview article on the coaching conference and asking what’s so special about employing positive psychology in coaching. That triggers me to…

Coaching is the process of change that mobilizes strengths to realize the potential of individuals as well as organizations. To learn more about helping people change, develop, and meet personal…

In both his opening and closing addresses at the 1st World Congress of the International Positive Psychology Association (WCPP), Dr. Martin Seligman challenged the community to meet an ambitious goal:…

Based on various research and studies, I summarize here the various research and studies into a 7-mechanism model of resilience that offers a comprehensive picture of a state of resilience that leads to optimal performance with manageable stress.

The 2nd Applied Positive Psychology Conference recently held at the University of Warwick held three lessons that inspired me from three different perspectives – individual, organizational, and community.

If you want to learn more about the applications of positive psychology in work, education and the wider community, the 2nd Applied Positive Psychology Conference will be the event for you. Hosted by the Centre for Applied Positive Psychology (CAPP) at the University of Warwick from 1-3 April 2009, delegates from all over the world will come together to share experiences, explore new research and applications, and build connections.

There has been a widespread discussion on whether or not positive psychology is effective from a business perspective. There are strong links between positive psychology and organizational performance, many captured in work in the field of Positive Organizational Behavior (POB). Here I summarize a longer, recently published paper.

What exactly grants love the magic? Elijah Mickel and Cecilia Hall recently wrote about the five presents of perfect love. I would like to share this food for thought with you in February – the month of LOVE – when St. Valentine’s Day in the West and Yuanxiao Jie (???) in the East occur in the same month.

At the end of 2008, Daniel Goleman published another paper with Richard Boyatzis about Social Intelligence (SI) and Leadership. They define social intelligence as ‘a set of interpersonal competencies built on specific neural circuits (and related endocrine systems) that inspire others to be effective.’ SI may rock the fields leadership and management, just as Emotional Intelligence did 10 years ago.

As a leading writer and printer, politician, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman and diplomat, Ben Franklin attributed his success and happiness to only one thing – developing virtues. Especially so in tough times.

Why did Franklin care about habits and virtues?

The 2nd Conference on Happiness & Its Causes was held in London in October 2008. The conference aimed to probe into the underlying causes of happiness and well-being for individuals, workplaces, and communities as a whole. The conference motto was Tools & Techniques for a Happier Life.