In another translation, "Psychology of involvement in everyday life." This is from a series of "closed gestalts", and not only the fact of reading at last in full, but also the systematization of impressions in the form of a report on what was read.

I read with great interest at one time "Flow. The Psychology of Optimal Experience". This book establishes the actual concept of "flow". So that there are no associations with something like "dangling like ... in an ice hole" or "swimming at the will of the waves", under the spoiler is a definition from the dictionary of academic terms (in such cases I am not a supporter of "retelling in my own words"):

"Flow is a mental state in which a person is fully involved in what he is doing, which is characterized by active concentration, full involvement and focus on success in the process of activity. The flow concept was proposed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, it also includes practical recommendations for entering the flow state "It should be noted that the flow state is not a unique state, many scientists, researchers, successful businessmen, managers and ordinary people experience it. Being in a flow state is not limited to any one particular area, process. It applies to all areas of activity, in which a particular person is involved in. This state is often described by the researched as a feeling of getting pleasure from self-realization, increased and justified self-confidence, a pronounced increase in communication skills, the ability to express one’s thoughts clearly and clearly, to convince the interlocutor, to effectively solve the problems of any difficulties or find innovative ways to solve them. In the subjects in the flow state, the indicators of information assimilation increase, memory is activated, the ability to analyze information is observed, a mild form of anxiety is observed due to increased activity. People outside the flow state and in the flow are often perceived as two different people.

In The Psychology of Optimal Experience, the components of this delightful state are broken down piece by piece. And it is so good that everyone naturally wants to have it. Therefore, I was expecting with enthusiasm that Csikszentmihalya would give ready-made recipes in The Psychology of Passion for Everyday Life, where to get it and how to enter it. And the first time I couldn't even read it to the end. The book turned out to be so "about everything at once" that, according to my feelings, it borders on "about nothing." As if Barbara Sher decided to switch from training to academic genres.

For example, Csikszentmihalya breaks down a person’s day into its constituent parts, painstakingly confirming with the help of research how much time is spent on sleep, how much on self-care and economic activities, how much on food, how much on work, how much on leisure, how much of it is spent on hobby. Considers how the attitude to one or another aspect has changed. For example, how people treated work before and how they do it now. How this attitude has changed due to the fact that in many areas the process and results have become perceived as somewhat ephemeral. Well, compare the visual visibility and weightiness of the results, for example, of peasant labor with the work of a clerk who "shifts papers." Explores how the types and forms of leisure have changed. Understands at what moments people feel the most satisfaction and / or pleasure. Analyzes the increase in "passive leisure activities". He manages to speculate in passing why watching a movie is easier than reading, but reading more often causes that same feeling of flow, and why doing an activity that does not require preparation is easier than something that needs to be organized first. In general, there really, almost everything and at once. Lots of interesting facts and discussions. Enough interesting interpretations. For example, I really liked this moment about self-knowledge, which is not deprived of attention in its religious aspects:

“In the 20th century, self-knowledge was strongly identified with Freudian psychoanalysis. Formed under the influence of the political cynicism of the period between the two world wars, psychoanalysis sets its task modestly: it offers self-knowledge, without setting itself the goal of saying what a person should do with what he has learned about himself. And the understanding he offered, as deep as it was, was also often limited to discovering some of the pitfalls that the ego usually falls into - the harmful feelings that arose as a result of the existence of the family triangle and the subsequent suppression of sexuality. Despite the important discoveries of psychoanalysis, its failure was “in giving a false sense of security to people who believed that, having discovered their childhood trauma, they would now live happier lives. Alas, our "ego" is more insidious and complex than such an idea about it.

Psychotherapy is based mainly on memories and subsequent discussion with a trained psychotherapist. This process of reflection under the guidance of a specialist can be of considerable benefit, and in its form it does not differ much from the injunction of the Delphic oracle. The difficulty is that the popularity of this form of therapy leads people to believe that through introspection and reflection on their past, they can solve their problems. This usually doesn't happen because the lenses through which we look at the past are distorted by the exact problem we want to solve. To benefit from reflection, an experienced psychotherapist or long practice is needed.

What's more, the habit of rumination that our narcissistic society encourages can actually make things worse. Research using Selective Experience Studies shows that when people think about themselves, their mood is usually negative. When a person begins to think without having special skills for this, the first thoughts that arise in his mind are usually depressive. If we forget about ourselves in a state of flow, then in a state of apathy, restlessness or boredom, our "ego" usually comes to the fore. So if we're not proficient in thinking, "thinking about problems" tends to make things worse instead of better.

Most people only think about themselves when things are going badly for them, and as a result, they enter a vicious cycle in which anxiety in the present reflects on the past, and painful memories make the present even darker. One way to break this cycle is to get in the habit of reflecting on your life when you have reasons to be happy with it when you are in high spirits. But it is even better to direct your psychic energy to those goals and relationships that will bring you harmony in an indirect way. By experiencing flow through a complex interaction, we will receive a concrete and objective response, and we will not need to make an effort to think better of ourselves.”

Everything is very well and correctly noted, but see for yourself what the thematic spread is, for example, with these quotes. And under the spoilers, not pretty aphorisms are collected, but namely capacious theses, deployed in separate chapters-reasonings. In this case, I am not at all afraid to sort out with quotes, because, having familiarized myself with their selection, you can not read the rest, "we understood the principle" c):

“In order to experience flow, having clear goals can help—not because achieving goals is important, but because without a goal, it's hard to focus and not be distracted. Thus, a climber sets himself the goal of reaching the summit, not because he has such a strong desire to reach it, but because this goal makes climbing possible. If not for the summit, then climbing the mountain would be a pointless exercise that leaves a person feeling restless and indifferent.”

“Learning to manage your goals is an important step towards improving the quality of your daily life. But for this it is not at all necessary to hit the extremes of spontaneity, on the one hand, or complete control, on the other hand. The best solution is perhaps to understand the origins of motivation, recognize the bias of our desires, and set modest goals that create order in our minds without bringing much disorder to our social and material environment.”

“Passive leisure and recreation do not afford us much opportunity for the exercise of our faculties. We experience flow when we are engaged in activities that give us the opportunity to apply our skills, namely, doing mental work and outdoor activities.”

“Most of us accumulate attention very carefully. We spend it sparingly only on the serious things that matter to us; we are only interested in those things that contribute to our well-being. The objects that are most worthy of our psychic energy are ourselves, as well as those people and things that give us some kind of material or emotional advantage. As a result, we have almost no attention left to participate in the life of the universe on its own terms, to be surprised, to learn something new, to sympathize, to overcome the boundaries outlined by our egocentrism.

“Most of us have learned to save our attention to focus on the immediate needs of existence, and we have little energy left to inquire about the nature of the universe, our place in space, or anything else that will not benefit us in achieving our immediate needs. goals. But without selfless interest, life is uninteresting. It has no room for wonder, discovery, wonder, and overcoming the boundaries of our fears and prejudices. If you didn't develop curiosity and interest in early childhood, you should acquire them now before it's too late to improve the quality of your life."

“Many things that seem interesting to us are not so in nature until we try to pay attention to them. Insects and minerals do not seem very attractive to us until we start collecting them. Most people don't seem interesting to us either until we know how they live and what they think. Marathons and rock climbing, bridge playing and Racine dramas are pretty boring, but not for those who have put in enough attention to understand all their complexity. As soon as we focus our attention on any segment of reality, endless opportunities open up before us for action - physical, intellectual or emotional - and the use of our abilities. We will never have a good enough excuse for being bored."

“The more mental energy we put into an event that is painful for us, the more real it becomes, and the more entropy enters our consciousness. But we also will not solve the problem if we refuse this experience, try to suppress it or interpret it differently, since this information will hide in the depths of our consciousness, depriving us of psychic energy and preventing its spread. It will be better if we look our suffering straight in the eye, acknowledge it and honor its presence, and then, as quickly as possible, focus our attention on those things that we ourselves have chosen for this.

“No one can lead a magnificent life without feeling that he belongs to something greater and more eternal than himself. This is a conclusion common to all religions that have given meaning to human life throughout the long centuries of human history. Today, when we are still intoxicated by great discoveries in science and technology, we risk forgetting this revelation. In the United States and other technologically advanced countries, individualism and materialism almost completely prevailed over commitment to one's community and spiritual values.

“It seems more and more that we hide our heads in the sand so as not to hear bad news, and hide behind the fences of our houses under the protection of armed guards. However, our personal life cannot be good as long as we remain aloof from the problems of society, which Socrates knew and understood those who recently experienced dictatorship in their countries. It would be much easier if we were only responsible for ourselves. Unfortunately, the world works differently. Active responsibility for the rest of humanity and for the world of which we are a part is a necessary part of a good life.”

“However, the true task of man is to reduce entropy in his environment without increasing it in his mind. Buddhists give good advice on how to do this: "Always act as if the future of the universe depends on what you have done, and laugh at yourself if you think your actions make a difference." It is this kind of serious humor, this combination of concern and humility that makes it possible to deal with the matter with full involvement, and at the same time at ease. With this attitude, one does not need to win in order to feel satisfied; maintaining order in the universe becomes a goal that brings satisfaction in itself, without any subsequent benefits for man. In this case, it is possible to experience joy even when you are fighting a losing war for a good cause.”

Summing up, I can say that the book left a feeling that bordered on slight bewilderment. Its essence can be formulated in one phrase: "Active activities are always better than passive pastime." You involuntarily think, but this simple, in essence, thesis, really needs to be accompanied by so many explanations, justifications and evidence, in addition, with research? The subject of which, inappropriately to say, sometimes produces almost a comic effect. Or is the thesis so overblown because the "publish or die" principle is still leading in certain circles?

But at least I understood why I enjoy driving so much: this moment is also given a bit of attention in it. But it's not one of those books that I wouldn't recommend to anyone. More curious than educational. And it seems that only people who are inclined to think quite "on the same wavelength with the author" will be able to benefit. For readers of a different "psychological profile" than the author, it will at best be "passing", and even frankly "ballast", since it also does not pull on "reading for pleasure and entertainment."

How to become masters of your own destiny? How to get joy from every minute of your existence and at the same time feel that you are moving forward? How to fill the routine with meaning? Eminent scientist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi continues the theme of his cult book "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience" in relation to everyday life. Here he shows the importance of the state of flow in the circle of ordinary affairs, teaches you to identify activities that stimulate the desire to put your best efforts, and make adjustments accordingly. This applies to work, and leisure, and relationships with others, and raising children. Having mastered these methods, everyone has a chance for a decent, meaningful, fruitful and happy life.

MICHAI CHIKSENTMIHAJI

LOOKING FOR A FLOW

Psychology of passion for everyday life

How do we spend our days? What gives us pleasure? How do we feel when we eat, watch TV, make love, work, drive a car, communicate with friends? As the in-depth study of the lives of thousands of people at the heart of Finding the Flow shows, we often live without thinking about or touching our inner life. As a result of this inattention, we are constantly torn between two extremes: during most of the day we experience anxiety, stress at work and the need to cope with our duties, and we spend our free time doing nothing, passive and boring.

Finding Flow is a book about psychology as well as a self-help book. This guide is for those who want to take control of their lives. According to Csikszentmihalyi, the solution lies in setting ourselves difficult tasks that require high professionalism and full dedication from us. Instead of watching TV or playing the piano, approach daily activities from a different angle. In short, know the joy of complete self-giving.

Perhaps the implications of Finding the Flow seem simple when viewed superficially. However, they can change your life. They are the result of many years of work by the author and research conducted by him at the University of Chicago. As a result, a deep and significant work was created, in which the author offers his readers ways to make your life internally richer and richer.

FIRST CHAPTER

Structure of everyday life

These lines, written by Auden, briefly and accurately convey the content of this book. The choice is simple: between today and the inevitable end of our days, we choose either life or death. Biological life is an automatic process as long as we satisfy the needs of our body. But life, in the sense that the poet has in mind, is not at all something that happens by itself. In fact, everything proves the opposite: if we do not manage our own life, it will be controlled by other external forces and someone will use it for their own purposes. Biological instincts will force us to pass on our genetic potential, a culture will use our lives to propagate its values, and other people will try to achieve their goals with our energy - all without caring how it affects us. We don't have to wait for someone to help us live; we must learn to do it ourselves.

So what does it mean to "live" in this context? Naturally, this is not about simple biological survival. To live life to the fullest, without wasting time and opportunities, expressing your uniqueness and taking the deepest part in the complex life of the entire universe. This book explores ways to live this way, based on the findings of modern psychology, my own research, and all the wisdom of the past, handed down to us in any form.

We will consider the question “What does it mean to live well?” pretty modest. Instead of dealing with prophecies and riddles, we will be based on real facts as much as possible and focus our attention on the most ordinary events that occur in our lives during the day.

I will give a specific example to explain what I mean by the expression "to live well". A few years ago, together with my students, we were doing research at a factory where railroad cars were assembled. The main workplace was located in a huge dirty hangar, where, due to constant noise, it was impossible to hear a word. Most welders hated their jobs and were constantly looking at their watches waiting for the end of the day. As soon as they got out through the gate, they immediately hurried to a nearby bar or went to another state to have fun.

MICHAI CHIKSENTMIHAJI

LOOKING FOR A FLOW

Psychology of passion for everyday life

How do we spend our days? What gives us pleasure? How do we feel when we eat, watch TV, make love, work, drive a car, communicate with friends? As the in-depth study of the lives of thousands of people at the heart of Finding the Flow shows, we often live without thinking about or touching our inner life. As a result of this inattention, we are constantly torn between two extremes: during most of the day we experience anxiety, stress at work and the need to cope with our duties, and we spend our free time doing nothing, passive and boring.

Finding Flow is a book about psychology as well as a self-help book. This guide is for those who want to take control of their lives. According to Csikszentmihalyi, the solution lies in setting ourselves difficult tasks that require high professionalism and full dedication from us. Instead of watching TV or playing the piano, approach daily activities from a different angle. In short, know the joy of complete self-giving.

Perhaps the implications of Finding the Flow seem simple when viewed superficially. However, they can change your life. They are the result of many years of work by the author and research conducted by him at the University of Chicago. As a result, a deep and significant work was created, in which the author offers his readers ways to make your life internally richer and richer.

FIRST CHAPTER

Structure of everyday life

If we really want to live, we'd better start right now;

If we do not want to live, it is better for us to start dying.

– W.H. Auden

These lines, written by Auden, briefly and accurately convey the content of this book. The choice is simple: between today and the inevitable end of our days, we choose either life or death. Biological life is an automatic process as long as we satisfy the needs of our body. But life, in the sense that the poet has in mind, is not at all something that happens by itself. In fact, everything proves the opposite: if we do not manage our own life, it will be controlled by other external forces and someone will use it for their own purposes. Biological instincts will force us to pass on our genetic potential, a culture will use our lives to propagate its values, and other people will try to achieve their goals with our energy - all without caring how it affects us. We don't have to wait for someone to help us live; we must learn to do it ourselves.

So what does it mean to "live" in this context? Naturally, this is not about simple biological survival. To live life to the fullest, without wasting time and opportunities, expressing your uniqueness and taking the deepest part in the complex life of the entire universe. This book explores ways to live this way, based on the findings of modern psychology, my own research, and all the wisdom of the past, handed down to us in any form.

We will consider the question “What does it mean to live well?” pretty modest. Instead of dealing with prophecies and riddles, we will be based on real facts as much as possible and focus our attention on the most ordinary events that occur in our lives during the day.

I will give a specific example to explain what I mean by the expression "to live well". A few years ago, together with my students, we were doing research at a factory where railroad cars were assembled. The main workplace was located in a huge dirty hangar, where, due to constant noise, it was impossible to hear a word. Most welders hated their jobs and were constantly looking at their watches waiting for the end of the day. As soon as they got out through the gate, they immediately hurried to a nearby bar or went to another state to have fun.

But there was one worker in that factory, whose name was Joe. He was in his early sixties and had little to no education whatsoever. However, he learned to understand the technique and repair any equipment in the plant, from cranes to computer monitors. He enjoyed fiddling with broken devices, finding out the cause of the breakdown and bringing them back to working order. Together with his wife, he set up a large garden with alpine slides on two empty plots of land adjacent to the house, and built fountains there, over which a rainbow shone - even at night!

All the factory workers, and there were about a hundred of them, respected Joe, although they did not always understand him. They turned to him for help if there was any problem. Many believed that without Joe, the plant would simply have closed.

Over the years, I have met with CEOs of large companies, influential politicians and Nobel laureates. All of them were outstanding people who led wonderful lives. However, their life was no better than Joe's. What makes such a life so simple, rewarding, and worth living? This is the main question of this book. My approach is based on three main premises. The first of them are the prophets, poets and philosophers who discovered many truths in the past, which are of great importance for our life today. However, these truths were expressed in the language of their time, therefore, in order to apply them, each generation must rediscover and decipher them. The most important ideas of our ancestors are contained in the sacred books of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and the Vedas. These sources can only be ignored out of childish arrogance. However, it would also be naive to think that everything written in the past is the absolute truth for all time.

The second premise on which this book is built is that science is currently providing mankind with the most important information. Scientific truth is also expressed in terms specific to a particular era, so that it may be changed or discarded in the future. Perhaps there are many prejudices and misunderstandings in modern science, as in old myths, but we are too close in time to catch this difference. Maybe in time we will be able to establish the truth through extrasensory perception and transmission of spiritual energy and will not need theories and laboratories. However, the short path is dangerous: it must be admitted that our knowledge is still far from perfect. Be that as it may, today science is the most reliable reflection of reality, and we risk if we do not use it.

The third premise is that if we are to understand what “real life” means, we must listen to voices from the past and combine their messages with the knowledge that science is slowly accumulating. Ideological appeals, such as Rousseau's idea of ​​a return to nature, which preceded the Freudian ideology, are just empty words if we have no concept of human nature. There is no hope for us in the past. There is no solution in the present. It is also pointless to jump forward into an imaginary future. The only way to know what life is is to try to understand the reality of the past and the possibilities of the future as we can understand them in the present.

Accordingly, in this book, by the word "life" we mean what we experience from morning to evening, seven days a week, for about 70 years if we are lucky, or even more if we are very lucky. Such a perspective may seem limited when compared with the higher conceptions of life that myths and religion give us. But if Pascal's statement is reversed, it turns out that in case of doubt, the best solution is to assume that these seventy years are our only chance to know the universe and we must use this chance to the fullest. If we do not do this, we may lose everything; if we make mistakes even after death there is life, we have nothing to lose.

Looking for flow. Psychology of involvement in everyday life Csikszentmihalyi Mihaly

MIHAJ CZIKSENTMIHAJI IN SEARCH OF THE FLOW Psychology of being engrossed in everyday life

MICHAI CHIKSENTMIHAJI

LOOKING FOR A FLOW

Psychology of passion for everyday life

How do we spend our days? What gives us pleasure? How do we feel when we eat, watch TV, make love, work, drive a car, communicate with friends? As the in-depth study of the lives of thousands of people at the heart of Finding the Flow shows, we often live without thinking about or touching our inner life. As a result of this inattention, we are constantly torn between two extremes: during most of the day we experience anxiety, stress at work and the need to cope with our duties, and we spend our free time doing nothing, passive and boring.

Finding Flow is a book about psychology as well as a self-help book. This guide is for those who want to take control of their lives. According to Csikszentmihalyi, the solution lies in setting ourselves difficult tasks that require high professionalism and full dedication from us. Instead of watching TV or playing the piano, approach daily activities from a different angle. In short, know the joy of complete self-giving.

Perhaps the implications of Finding the Flow seem simple when viewed superficially. However, they can change your life. They are the result of many years of work by the author and research conducted by him at the University of Chicago. As a result, a deep and significant work was created, in which the author offers his readers ways to make your life internally richer and richer.

From the book Water Logic by Bono Edward de

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS LIST The first step is to determine the theme of the flowgram. For example, let's say your housemate plays music too loudly in the evenings. The second step is to make a stream of consciousness list. You list your thoughts in order,

From the book of the Tao of Chaos author Wolinsky Stephen

Chapter 20 Strategy 7 I am good if I live a FULL LIFE; you are good if you help me live life to the fullest Here, as in other cases, the observer-person pair suffers from a sense of loss of being and an oppressive inner emptiness; with this strategy, the incentive for the first

From the book 48 affirmations to strengthen faith in yourself author Pravdina Natalia Borisovna

I AM PART OF THE STREAM OF LIFE I am part of the flow of life and I move with it with joy! I let the flow of life carry me to happiness and love. I believe that the world opens up the right

From the book Psychotechnologies of Altered States of Consciousness author Kozlov Vladimir Vasilievich

LEVELING THE FLOW The purpose of this exercise is to develop greater sensitivity to energy and tension. The focus is on the mouth, nose, jaw and throat (larynx). This exercise leads to subtle but powerful self-knowledge and self-management. It has

From the book Overloaded Brain [Information Flow and the Limits of Working Memory] author Klingberg Thorkel

Flow state American psychologist and scientist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is the author of the theory according to which people are absolutely happy if they are in a special “flow” state, in a state of complete physical and spiritual harmony with the outside world. Flow State -

From the book Visualization Effect by Nast Jamie

Thinking like a flow Now our activity will be somewhat different. Again we start with one word you have chosen or use the one I suggested (Fig. 2.4). Draw a line from the given word, add another branch to this line, and so on, until there are ten of them. Rice. 2.4.

From the book I attract money - 2 author Pravdina Natalia Borisovna

Ways to increase cash flow 1. Your front door. Look at it through the eyes of an outsider. What does she say about you? How long have you been painting it? The entrance door to the apartment attracts the vital energy of qi, so it is very important. Make sure nothing is blocking the passage

From the book Life Control Panel. The Energy of Relationships author Kelmovich Mikhail

The Three Power Flows Now that we have seen the basic g-forces, it becomes clear how flows work. They compensate for overload and restore balance. Their movements are the "content" of individual programs. We have come to a very

From the book Evolution of Personality author Csikszentmihalyi Mihaly

The creative force of the flow For me, the flow is primarily a creative force, moreover, a controlled one. When I write poems or books, develop design projects or new trainings, solve complex situational problems, I always turn to the creative power of flow. I know her and she

From the book The Plateau Effect. How to overcome stagnation and move on by Sullivan Bob

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi The Evolution of Personality His book The Flow presented us with a fundamentally new theory of happiness, in its no less revolutionary continuation, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi shows us how to comprehend and overcome our evolutionary heritage in order to revive ourselves and the world

From the book How to Learn to Live at Full Power author Dobbs Mary Lou

Element 4: Flow Problems Sometimes a car breaks down even when everything is going right. In such situations, you may experience one of four types of dysfunction. Erosion. Sometimes we deplete the resources needed to become successful. We may be running out

From the book Black Stripe - White! [A Practical Guide to Managing Your Destiny] author Kharitonova Angela

Recognizing the flow of change Any change in your life can be the impetus to transplant yourself into a new pot. It may be an event that is beyond your control, or an event that you have some control over. In the best case scenario, change

From the book A completely different conversation! How to turn any discussion into a constructive channel by Benjamin Ben

Pyramid of cash flow These ideas for creating additional income for retirement will help you in the formation of a reliable and sustainable pyramid. At the bottom of the pyramid, you will build a solid foundation that provides a steady flow of cash that keeps you active,

From the book The Psychology of Happiness. New Approach author Lyubomirsky Sonya

Day 46 Finding the flow of your life Have you noticed that sometimes it is very difficult to cope with things, to achieve what you want, you are unlucky in everything, as if all the doors are closed to you? And it happens the other way around - you seem to fall into a whirlpool of events, and everything works out,

From the author's book

Red Light: Blocking the Flow The communication behaviors shown in the top row of the SAVI table have the same effect on information as a red light on traffic. They do not completely block the movement of information, but create

From the author's book

Action #8: Get into a “Flow” State Have you ever been so engrossed in something—drawing, writing, talking, playing chess, wood burning, fishing, praying, surfing the Internet—that you completely lost track of time? Maybe you didn't even notice