I read a fascinating article in the NYTimes magazine yesterday about a new school of Psychology aimed at helping people live happier lives. A certain Dr. Martin Seligman is heading up the research into what he calls Positive Psychology, and promoting it in colleges across the country. It’s controversial, but a lot of what the practice calls for makes sense for general well-being: daily meditation, helping others, taking time everyday to play, taking time everyday to be thankful for 3 things that happened to you that day.

Well I love personality tests, so when I went on Authentic Happiness, Dr. Seligman’s site, I was excited to see a whole bunch of tests I could take.

(Read on …)

Caring for your Introvert is a funny, partly tongue-in-cheek and partly serious commentary on introverts in our very extroverted society. I always had a feeling I was slightly different than a lot of people around me, and it’s because I’m in the minority of personality types. Most people are extroverts and our society is kind of set up more for that type.

I’m the kind of person who needs a lot of time alone to think and to recharge my batteries. I like a good party and I’m perfectly sociable, but after a night out with a group of people I’m definitely exhausted. And I really prefer a deep one-on-one conversation with a good friend about something I feel really passionate about. I actually get along famously with extroverts, most of my close friends are extroverts, and there’s nothing I like better than to listen to them talk on and on.

So are there any other introvert readers out there? What did you think of the article?

And if you’re not sure of your own type, check out my post about personality tests here.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the movie “Crash” but I think the line when Sandra Bullock’s character says “I am angry all the time… and I don’t know why.” was such an interesting statement. Because I feel that way a lot of the time, just angry.

There is something about modern life, the fast-pacedness of it, and the anonomity of it, that leaves us feeling totally alienated and angry. We just want to lash out at other people because we don’t know what to do with the feeling. There’s a lack of feeling that we’re connected to others and responsible for the welfare of the world.

I don’t have all the answers to it but I do think it starts by looking within and asking yourself if what you’re doing is helping mankind or if you’re just selling your talents and your soul away. You have to do a lot of soul-searching and stop sleepwalking through life to break out of the cycle of anger. Anger’s like a subtle (or not so subtle) knocking at the door saying that something’s not right, and that you’re compromising your values.

I love personality tests, especially the myer’s briggs. Based on Jung’s theories of personality types, I’ve found the Myers-Briggs tests to be very accurate. I’m an INFJ. But I do think personality type tests can get tricky, especially if you’re given one in the hiring process. A good personality test can help you get to know yourself better. A bad one such as this test can really do a lot of damage.

Newsweek had a very interesting article this week about Freud and his theories, and how they’re really out of vogue right now. One of the most interesting parts of the article I thought was called “The Therapist as Scientist” when they discussed how important it will soon be for science to prove the effectiveness of therapy. Neuroscientists and psychologists will need to unite in order to prove that therapy actually works and has an effect on the brain. Yet, many therapists have been resisting this type of testing.

I really think it would be great to prove scientifically that therapy works, because it would put therapy on the same level as other medicines, and give it a validity that it needs. I think Art Therapy would greatly benefit as well, since Art Therapy has been looked at as one of the more “flakey” professions and only recently just got licensed in New York state. What do you think?