As someone who has studied positive psychology in school and invested time reviewing aspects of personal well-being (the term of choice in the industry), I sometimes forget how little public knowledge there is regarding this area of inquiry. This post seeks to address some aspects of that void.

Positive psychology and gaming are surprisingly compatible dance partners, so much so that I'm now somewhat loathe to consider them separately. Jane McGonigal's recent book, Reality Is Broken, illustrates exactly how well one theory informs the other. While we are all aware that stress can be destructive both physically and cognitively, there are some types that can be empowering. One of the first aspects Jane McGonigal addresses is the idea of eustress—the concept of positive stress. She presents the case that gaming can push us into flow: that state of being where we are operating at the peak of our abilities (see Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi's books/research for in-depth investigation of this phenomenon). Thankfully, she also discusses that we can't live in a permanent state of flow, no matter how much we think we'd like it.

This leads to the need for a more meaningful life goal. However, extrinsic motivation (motivation that leads us outside ourselves) can inure us to enjoying the things we think bring us pleasure. This is referred to as hedonic adaptation (or for the sports minded among you, the hedonic treadmill).

A few pages later, McGonigal raises the concept of intrinsic motivation. This is the motivation that is personally rewarding but generally non-monetary in nature. Hedonic resilience is the reward to be found by pursuing this path. A thing which, if it were displayed in a shop window, you'd very much want to own because it would continuously emotionally reward you. (Irony!)

One of the most reassuring and rewarding aspects of Reality Is Broken is the sheer number of psychologists mentioned. Consider these psychologists a sort of murderer's row (to coin a phrase) of positive psychology: Mihaly Cskiszentmihalyi, Sonja Lyubomirsky, Erik Gregory, Tal Ben-Shahar, and Martin Seligman. An overview of this psychological genre must at least begin with those names. And begin Jane McGonigal does, wrapping them ever so nicely in the dreamworld of gaming.

Read the book. Then track down those positive psychologists and read their books. You'll thank yourself for it.

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P.S. Maybe it's the discussion point but to me, today, February 17, keeps feeling like St. Patrick's Day—so I'm feeling lucky. And yes, although it will be another post someday, rest assured that the feelings of happiness and luck do seem to go hand-in-hand.