05 Sep What, if anything, is the relationship between happiness and perfection?
Tal Ben-Shahar_ã_s latest book _ã–The Pursuit of Perfect_ã is highly recommended, whether you_ã_re a perfectionist or not. He interweaves his wealth of knowledge of well-researched concepts with compelling personal experiences. The result is a very readable analysis of the dangers of perfectionism and an outline of a healthier alternative that he calls _ã–optimalism._ã In Part 2, he applies the ideas to specific areas of life that are dear to his heart: education, parenting, relationships and the workplace. Throughout Tal interjects practical suggestions and advice for how to reduce perfectionist tendencies. In Part 3, he offers ten meditations on specific topics.
The central idea is that being an optimalist, in the state of positive perfection, is adaptive and healthy, while negative perfectionism is a maladaptive and neurotic state. Tal draws a link between healthy optimalism and the goal of Positive Psychology, the scientific study of optimal human functioning.
Will we find happiness in the pursuit of perfection or optimalism? To read more of Amanda Horne’s book review from Positive Psychology News Daily – click here