What Is Positive Psychology?

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We need a vibrant center of consciousness to combat polarization and extremism.

The three pillars of the vibrant center are presence, openness to experience, and discernment.

Vibrant-centered consciousness is needed in parenting, schools, work, religions, and government.

I advocate for a "vibrant center" of consciousness to address the extremism and polarization of our times. This consciousness emphasizes three pillars of accumulated psychosocial wisdom over the last 2,500 years. These pillars are (1) presence (or the capacity to really be there with one’s whole body awareness), (2) openness to experience that results from this presence, and (3) discernment (or deeply considered judgment) that emerges from the realization that life has limits and that to live richly and fully one has to prioritize; one has to clarify what really matters about living.

Prioritization of External Conditions Over Inner Life

By contrast, and over the course of modern, industrialized society, we have stressed external conditions to improve humanity's lot. And although this worldview has helped in many ways—for example, it has improved our general standard of living, it has extended our life-spans, and in some ways, it has significantly elevated........

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