What a Wonderful World (Louie Armstrong)
• I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.
The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They're really saying I love you.
I hear babies crying, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll never know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world.
© Mark Williams
Strength, Happiness, Emotions,
and Resilience
强项, 情感，幸福和睿智
Dr Mark Williams Ph.D.
Professor of Applied Positive Psychology
Shenzhen University
Mobile: (0011 86 755) 13480129331
email: markw.positive@gmail.com
web: www.aappi.net
© Mark Williams
Income at age 50 预计收入为50岁
Revision:
Positive
people
tend to get
a high
income
High-positive people
非常积极的人
Low-positive people
积极的人低
Low score 低评分
High score 高分
Grade Point Average at high school 平均成绩在高中
• Positivity strength means having high self esteem, self-efficacy, locus
of control and emotional control (i.e. factors leading towards high
levels of resilience). 高积极性的手段具有高自尊，自我效能，控
制和情绪控制（即高弹性的因素，对各级领导轨迹）。
Judge, T. A., & Hurst, C. (2007).
© Mark Williams
2 Chinese Stories
Mr.
Lin
Liang
Mr.
Pin
Piang
Ms.
Li
Ling
Ms.
Pi
Ping
From small cities near
Guangdong; worked very hard
in school; Had to work hard;
graduated from SZU in 2005
because they forced himself to
get interested in their major of
English; Strong and satisfied?
From Shenzhen; had tutors
because their family is rich;
talented and handsome;
graduated from SZU in law and
in management without
working very hard at their
studies; Strong and satisfied?
© Mark Williams
2 Chinese Stories
Mr.
Lin
Liang
Mr.
Pin
Piang
Ms.
Li
Ling
Ms.
Pi
Ping
Liang and Ling had a small love
story at SZU, gradually moving
from friendship to love when
Ling got a position as English
teacher and Liang got paid
employment in a real estate
firm. They married in 2007.
Piang and Ping had a big love
story at SZU that continued
when they both got internships
and then paid employment,
Ping in a law firm and Ping as a
manager in a real estate firm.
They married in 2007.
© Mark Williams
Positive Psychology Course Assessments
1 Every week send a short email briefly listing 10 good things
. using the PERMAGASMIC model (50-80 words) to
markw.positive@gmail.com
30%
2 Group PPT on applying positive psychology to some area of
. work and life (leader to give me an A4 sheet with group
member names and what week you want to present - weeks
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, or 15)
3 Personality strengths email describing your 5 major
. personality strengths (see www.cnenn.com )
10%
4 Individual speech on your life dreams and your 5 year and
. lifetime goals (weeks 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
10%
5 Attendance, participation, and informal test in last week of
. course (e.g. Write 3-5 things you learned or experienced in
this course, especially something that has changed your life)
40%
10%
© Mark Williams
How to do well in this course
1. Send me an email each week to
markw.positive@gmail.com about 10 good things
that happened during the week under the
headings P-E-R-M-AG-A-S-M-I-C
2. Team up in groups of 2 or 3 or 4 students and
present a PPT to the whole class
3. Give short speech on your 5 major personality
strengths and the 3 things that helped you to
become strong and happy in this course
4. Attend classes, write gratitude letter, and sit the
short feedback test in the final class about the 5
positive psychology things that most powerfully
changed your life this semester
© Mark Williams
PERMAGASMIC Weekly Email (30%) Assess. 1
Dear Mark, I am grateful for a PERMAGASMIC (orgasmic, fantastic, cosmic) week:
P. Positive emotions: Enhanced by savouring the fun of playing with my young nephew.
E. Engaged in work and life: setting timetable and schedules to
finish all my homework on time.
R. Relationships: Enhancing my romantic relationship by going for a walk with my girlfriend.
M. Meaningful purpose: Enhanced by reading articles about my future profession.
A. Achievement towards goals: making progress towards my goal of walking fast 30
minutes every day.
G. Giving: I gave some coins most days to my friends and paid for my friend at a meal
A. Acting and living, right now in this moment, exactly like the strongest and happiest
person I ever dreamed I could be – indeed I am acting and living as that person right now!
S. Strengths: Went online to www.cnenn.cn and found my character strengths and am
using them now
M. Morphing: My eye was hurt – I used the “ABC-reward” method tried to
overcome the fear in my heart and just listened to the doctor using the belly-breathing
method to relax
I. Inhale-exhale STOP-SLOW: Belly breathing, “Stop and Smile, Take a while – Take a breath,
yes breathe in now, Open my eyes, Open my ears, wait for a wonderful thing”
C. Communication: Had active-constructive communication with my brother and he smiled
with me.
Regards, Arthur
© Mark Williams
How do you feel right now?
现在你感觉如何?
1.
Excited – enthusiastic – interested – uninterested – bored
兴奋 - 热情 – 感兴趣 - 不感兴趣 - 无聊
2. Joyous – happy - so-so – sad - depressed
欢乐 - 愉快 - 马马虎虎 - 悲伤 - 沮丧
3. Peaceful – relaxed – unrelaxed – agitated – jealous - angry
平 静- 放松 – 拘束 – 焦虑 - 妒忌 - 愤怒
4. Powerful – confident – ok – timid - scared
强势 - 自信 - 好 - 胆小 - 害怕。
5. Lively – energetic – listless – lazy - tired - exhausted
活泼 - 精力充沛 – 无精打采 - 懒惰 –累-精疲力尽
6. Uplifted – elevated – clear – unclear - confused
提升 – 振奋 - 清晰 - 不清晰 – 混乱
© Mark Williams
Happiness
Measure
幸福周测量
10 = extremely unhappy 极度不高兴
20 = very unhappy 非常不高兴
30 = quite unhappy 很不高兴
40 = a little unhappy 有点不高兴
50 = Neutral 平淡，无所谓开心不开心
60 = a little happy 有点高兴
70 = quite happy 很高兴
80 = very happy 非常高兴
90 = extremely happy 极度高兴
100 = perfectly blissful
• “Today, I’ve generally been feeling 在过去的一周中，
我一般都感觉 ______”
• “Over the last few days, I’ve generally been feeling
在过去的几天 ，我一般都感觉 ______”
• Draw a graph in your note book recording your
Happiness Measure from last week with this week
© Mark Williams
Life Happiness
Measure (Based on
Ed Diener’s SWLS)
7 = Strongly agree非常同意
6 = Agree同意
5 = Slightly agree略同意
4 = Neither agree nor
disagree既不同意也不反对
3 = Slightly disagree稍有不同意
2 = Disagree不同意
1 = Strongly disagree强烈不同意
1. In general, my positive emotions (happiness, pleasure,
optimism, etc) give me an extremely happy life.
2. In general, my negative emotions (sadness, concern,
doubt, etc) are very well balanced and necessary.
3. Overall, I feel extremely satisfied with my life.
4. Overall, I wholeheartedly say “yes” to what I have
done and what has happened in my life.
5. Overall, I think I am and look very attractive in my own
way.
© Mark Williams
Assessment 2 (10%): Group PPT
• Group PPT on applying Positive Psychology to
some area of life or work
• In groups of 2-4 students, create a PowerPoint file
(each student creates 5 slides with your name on
them) applying positive psychology to some area
of life – teaching, management, hospitals, uni life,
romantic love, friendship, family, money, fame,
holidays, sport, coaching, work, career, sales,
government, housework, having children, getting
married, recovering from failure or illness, small
business, or the construction, restaurant, hotel,
real estate, advertising, entertainment, banking,
airline, driving, supermarket, film and television
industries.
© Mark Williams
Assessment 3 – Strengths Email (10%)
• By week 10, each student will send me a 60-120
word email describing your main personality
strengths based on your understanding of your
Enneagram
• This email must have the words <YOUR STUDENT ID>
<YOUR ENGLISH NAME> PERSONALITY STRENGTHS in
the subject line of the email and at the start of your
email text itself
• To know you strengths you will need to do the free
Chinese Enneagram test at www.cnenn.cn
• You can also do the free character strengths test at
www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu (go to the
middle of the home page – scroll down & click)。
© Mark Williams
Assessment 4 – Class Speech (10%)
• From week 12 onwards, each student will give a 2-3
minute English speech in groups about how you are
using your personality strengths, your dreams for
your life, your 5 years goals, and your life goals. The
best speeches will be given to the whole class.
• You will include your goals in 3 of the major areas of
life including: Financial planning; Family; Career and
work life; Education and life long learning; Public
service; Self development; Health-education-diet;
Pleasure; Friends – social life; Music-art-fashion;
Home life; Culture-religion-spirituality
© Mark Williams
Assessment 5 (40%)
• Attendance, participation, & contribution to
course (translations, comments)
• You will need to write at least one gratitude
letter to your mother or father
• There will also be a short 1 page informal exam
in the last week of this course
© Mark Williams
Terry O’Connor’s book “Happiness: The
thinking person’s guide”
1. Reduce our suffering through mindfulness
practices such as STOP-SLOW, mindfulness, prayercontemplation (mainly from modern Buddhist
teachings)
2. Savour our times of flow in life (Mihaly
Csikszentmihalyi) happiness and joy esp. having
good times with friends, family, and loved ones
(Seligman)
3. Find meaningful purpose (Aristotle’s eudemonia)
by having long term values, principles and goals in
life associated with gratitude in our life (Seligman)
© Mark Williams
Enhancing mindfulness by STOP
S
Stop and smile
Take a while
T
Take a breath, yes breathe in now
O
Open our eyes
Open our ears
P
Pause to tell a wonderful thing –
wonderful things in this world around,
may beauty and love last forever
Based on: Fisher, T. (2005) ‘Beginner’s mind: cultivating mediator mindfulness’
ACResolution
© Mark Williams
Enhancing mindfulness by SLOW
S
L
O
W
Slowly Smile
Lighten a while
Lighten you heart and your mind now
Open your eyes
Open your Ears
Wait and tell a Wonderful thing Wonderful things in this world around
May friendship and love last forever
Source: Fisher, T. (2005) ‘Beginner’s mind: cultivating mediator
mindfulness’ ACResolution
© Mark Williams
D.LECAG and W.PERMAGASMIC Mindfulness
Daily
• L: learn (& tell at least
1 new thing to
somebody)
• E: Exercise 30 min
• C: Connect deeply with
the people in your life
• A: STOP-SLOW
Awareness mindfulness
breathing
• G: Gratitude (3 Good
Things every night) –
relive the good feeling
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Weekly
P: positive emotions
E: Engage fully in work
R: relationships (enhance!)
M: life Meaning-purpose
A: Achieve to goals
G: Giving money, fruit, presents to people
A: Acting and living, right now in this moment,
exactly like the strongest and happiest person I
ever dreamed I could be – indeed I am acting and
living as that person right now!
S: Strengths to live by (Enneagram 9 types)
M: Morph suffering (ABCreward: “Activating
thought/event; Bad Belief-thinking-feeling
patterns; Change; self reward”)
I: Inhale-exhale belly breathing relaxation
C: Communicate actively (passive & active)
© Mark Williams
ABC-reward model for morphing
Try to see the mental or physical suffering as a teacher
leading you to new experiences and understandings of life;
• A “ I Acknowledge the Activating Event that started
the chain of feeling <scared, worried, anxious, sad,
painful, lonely, fearful, afraid, … how bad? 8 out of 10”
• B “What Bad Believe, thinking or feeling pattern is
carrying me along to suffering? 1. Personalizing? 2.
Black and white thinking? Future Catastrophe? …”
• C “I now Challenge, Change bad beliefs, thinking or
feeling patterns by Coming back to my life now
• Reward: “Well done <your name>” - pat yourself on
your back, stroke your hair – I’m becoming stronger and
happier.”
© Mark Williams
What are emotions?
• Emotions are mental and physical states in
mind and body.
• Emotions are associated with a wide variety of
feelings, thoughts, and behavior.
• Emotions are subjective experiences
© Mark Williams
Dr. Paul Ekman, famous
American Psychologist
• Born 1934, a psychologist and pioneer in the
study of emotions and facial expressions.
• He is considered one of the 100 most eminent
psychologists of the twentieth century.
• The character Cal Lightman of the famous
television series Lie to Me is loosely based on Dr.
Ekman and his work.
© Mark Williams
Dr. Ekman’s Original 1972
Classification of Emotions
• Happiness（喜）
• Anger
（怒）
• Sadness （哀）
• Fear
（惧）
• Surprise (惊喜)
• Disgust （厌恶）
• It is natural and right to feel all these emotions at
certain times in our life.
© Mark Williams
How do we read emotions?
我们怎么读出别人的情绪？
Happiness 喜, Anger 怒, Sadness 哀, Fear 惧, Surprise 惊喜, Disgust 厌恶,
Amusement 有乐趣, Contempt 鄙视, Contentment 知足, Embarrassment 尴尬,
Excitement 激动, Guilt 罪恶感, Pride in achievement 成就感, Relief 解脱,
Satisfaction 满意, Sensory pleasure 感觉很高兴, Shame 耻辱
© Mark Williams
© Mark Williams
Try to distinguish 尝试去区分
• Sadness: Loss 失去
• Surprise: Unexpected
event 无法预知事件
• Happiness, Joy: Gain 得到
• Disgust: Contamination,
toxic contact 污染物、有毒接触
• Anger: Reaction to danger
对危险的反应
• Fear: Danger lurks
潜在的危险
© Mark Williams
Dr. Ekman added these Emotions
in 1990
•
•
•
•
•
•
Amusement 有趣
Contempt 鄙视
Contentment 知足
Embarrassment 尴尬
Excitement 激动
Guilt 罪恶感
•
Pride in achievement
成就感
•
•
•
Relief 解脱
Satisfaction 满意
Sensory pleasure
•
感觉很高兴
Shame 耻辱
© Mark Williams
How would you define “happiness”?
你会如何定义“幸福”？
• Happiness is similar to：
 Pleasure 愉快
 Bliss 福气
 Ecstasy 狂喜
 Contentment 满意
• However, happiness researchers agree that
these emotions do not capture all of
happiness.
© Mark Williams
References
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ben-Shahar, Tal. (2007). Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting
Fulfilment. McGraw-Hill: New York
Chan, Wing-tsit (1963). A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy. Princeton, NJ, US: Princeton
University Press.
Cognitive behavioral therapy. (2010, April 6). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved
12:23, April 8, 2010, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cognitive_behavioral_therapy&oldid=354287980
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New
York: Harper & Row.
Fredrickson, B. L. (1998). What good are positive emotions? Review of General Psychology, 2(3),
300 - 319.
Fredrickson, B. L., & Levenson, R. W. (1998). Positive emotions speed recovery
from cardiovascular sequelae of negative emotions. Cognitions and Emotion,
12, 191–220.
Fredrickson, B., Mancuso, R., Branigan, C., & Tugade, M. M. (2000). The
undoing effect of positive emotions. Motivation and Emotion, 24(4), 237 –
258.
Happiness. (2010, June 21). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 01:54, June 22, 2010,
from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Happiness&oldid=369291403
Levine, Marvin (2000). The Positive Psychology of Buddhism and Yoga : Paths to a Mature
Happiness. Lawrence Erlbaum.
Seligman, M. E. (2002). Authentic Happiness. New York: Free Press.
© Mark Williams