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569 reviews for:
The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work
Shawn Achor
4.01 AVERAGE
569 reviews for:
The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work
Shawn Achor
4.01 AVERAGE
3/3 felt like at times it was driving if you don’t portray positivity outwards then you’re going to cause negativity to permeate through the group. Even at times you can be depressed or negative, but make sure to take the small steps to stay positive.
Paraphrasing a section of the book - “I was speaking and a woman in the audience seemed to not be having a great time and seemed to have a negative experience from what I was talking about. She came to me after saying how much she loved the talk. I wouldn’t have guessed that by how she was outwardly showing negative emotions. Make sure to smile because that will tell someone if you’re enjoying the experience.”
Paraphrasing a section of the book - “I was speaking and a woman in the audience seemed to not be having a great time and seemed to have a negative experience from what I was talking about. She came to me after saying how much she loved the talk. I wouldn’t have guessed that by how she was outwardly showing negative emotions. Make sure to smile because that will tell someone if you’re enjoying the experience.”
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
“Waiting to be happy limits our brain’s potential for success, whereas cultivating positive brains makes us more motivated, efficient, resilient, creative, and productive, which drives performance upward.”
Review of The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor
This is a book I really enjoyed because I was already reaping the benefits of it.
I am already quite happy because I choose to be, greeting people, doing small good deeds, and just smiling and knowing what I do and don’t have control over. And others tell me they become positive/happy themselves seeing me.
So the book confirmed my beliefs, added to them, and showed with scientific studies why this is the case.
I think most people can be happier, change their attitude and enjoy live more, so I recommend everybody to read this book, I also plan on reading this again as a reminder. Some actions to do to be and stay happy are:
- Meditate
- Find Something to Look Forward To
- Commit Conscious Acts of Kindness
- Infuse Positivity Into Your Surroundings (e.g., don’t watch the news)
- Spend Money (but Not on Stuff)
- Exercise a Signature Strength
Some parts that stood out to me:
“Waiting to be happy limits our brain’s potential for success, whereas cultivating positive brains makes us more motivated, efficient, resilient, creative, and productive, which drives performance upward.” (p. 4)
“So how do the scientists define happiness? Essentially, as the experience of positive emotions—pleasure combined with deeper feelings of meaning and purpose. Happiness implies a positive mood in the present and a positive outlook for the future.” (p. 39)
“… an empirical review of placebo studies found that “Placebos are about 55 percent to 60 percent as effective as most active medications like aspirin and codeine for controlling pain.” The simple change in mindset—i.e., a belief that they are taking an actual drug—is powerful enough to make the objective symptom actually disappear.” (p. 69)
“Just as your mindset about work affects your performance, so too does your mindset about your own ability. What I mean is that the more you believe in your own ability to succeed, the more likely it is that you will.” (p. 74)
“And, as science has shown, when we believe we can do more and achieve more (or when others believe it for us), that is often the precise reason we do achieve more.” (p. 86)
“The people who can most successfully get themselves up off from the mat are those who define themselves not by what has happened to them, but by what they can make out of what has happened. These are the people who actually use adversity to find the path forward. They speak not just of “bouncing back,” but of “bouncing forward.”” (p. 111)
“College students overestimate how devastated they would feel at the end of a romantic relationship. Assistant professors predict that being denied tenure would lead to drastically lowered levels of happiness, when in fact professors denied tenure do not experience this at all. Adversities, no matter what they are, simply don’t hit us as hard as we think they will. Just knowing this quirk of human psychology—that our fear of consequences is always worse than the consequences themselves—can help us move toward a more optimistic interpretation of the downs we will inevitably face.” (p. 126)
Just a really good self-help book for getting yourself into a more positive mentality. The author details seven interrelated principles and does a great job giving illustrations of and anecdotes for each. The thrust of the book is: common conventional wisdom is to try hard, be successful, and then you'll be happy. But in reality, it actually works exactly the opposite--beginning from a positive outlook leads to higher productivity (if that's your thing) and more success.
It sounds hippy-dippy or super corny, but really, the book is not laden with saccharine quips or eye-roll-inducing cheeriness. I'd recommend anyone to give this book a try. It's a quick read and gives a solid overview of many pillars of so-called positive psychology, and I think everyone can take something away from it.
It sounds hippy-dippy or super corny, but really, the book is not laden with saccharine quips or eye-roll-inducing cheeriness. I'd recommend anyone to give this book a try. It's a quick read and gives a solid overview of many pillars of so-called positive psychology, and I think everyone can take something away from it.
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
One of my favorite self help books to date! His anecdotes are on point, with just the right balance of scientific studies and relatable stories that make this both informative and engaging. Every chapter came with applicable advice that you can run with immediately without feeling overly prescriptive or like a burden on your day to day (and even something you can do with a friend!).
Overall, I loved the idea of reframing our minds to prioritize a happiness-first approach to life, and letting a growth of optimism be the fuel behind our success.
Overall, I loved the idea of reframing our minds to prioritize a happiness-first approach to life, and letting a growth of optimism be the fuel behind our success.
Got through most of it, but was boring and dense (did not make me happy to read it)
challenging
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Lots of great research on positive psychology. The book has ideas and examples on how to enact many of the concepts into one's life in real and tangible ways, which is often something that I feel is missing from books like these.
Thanks to Amy Wister for the book!!!! I really found it beneficial (and so have my clients!).