A Brief Book Break Down
Summary:
The introductory chapter explores a basic question that throttled Aristotle's mind: what is happiness? A question that still affiliates modern man today. Happiness has been a state of being that mankind has sought out more than anything in the course of their existence. The first pages of the book speak very lightly of the grand advancements man has accomplished with technology. We have today commodities not imagined before that were unavailable in periods not so long ago from today.
Despite our luxuries much of the population is still unsatisfied and miserable. Man falls into a controlled group. By birth he or she has been imposed with biological factors against or for his favor. Man is also shielded with constructs built by a society that prevents chaos. Csikszentmihalyi says:
For one to achieve happiness he must realize the constructs of the society that protects him and the biological factors that rule him.
It is required in order to know how to separate and find himself. He must control the biological cravings that he is programmed to feel in order to survive: overindulgence and gluttony over food is an example. He has to be able to identify and restrain himself from the ideals his culture says are necessary to become happy.
Man's quest for happiness has proven to be his vulnerability and weakness. It will constantly make him a victim of marketers, who exploit his weakness, in order to gain profit from him. The mere exposure of American culture imposes on its citizens through advertisement on television: if he buys that brand new 2018 car he will achieve some form of happiness. We know that is not true. It will leave man in debt and unhappy when he can't manage paying the car off due to unforeseen events.
This is why it's important for man to understand and separate biological needs and culture implications from his identity. If man can't do that he will never know how to have control or bring order into his consciousness. Separation begins once control is understood. He then begins to find himself. He begins to understand he has a consciousness and tunes into it naturally. Complexity begins in his identity: growth and the organization of the self burns within. He has higher chances of finding happiness within because of the complex weaves he is weaving through self-discovery.
Csikszentmihalyi emphasizes that enjoyment depends on the increases in complexity. He notes that in order to enter this state of flow - optimal experience, one has to participate with life. How does he participate with life? Make relationships with people that validate his existence. Engage in challenges. Challenges that don't necessarily feel above or below a skill level in the activity he engages in. It has to be an activity he finds interest in, that isn't boring, and that he knows somewhat skill in. Having skill in an activity he decides to participate in or challenge ensures he won't fall in a state of stress while engaging in it. Avoiding stress ensures he won't drop or fall out of the experience of flow. When he overcomes challenges he makes progression that highlights for the individual achievement upon completion. This gives his existence purpose an element needed to wield happiness.
Throughout the book we the reader are taken to various experiences of flow through different varieties of groups: painters, yogis, surgeons, poets, musicians, rock climbers, scientists, teachers, and so forth. This showcases that regardless of a person's age, race, gender, income, interest, or part of the world he or she was born into there is no difference in flow.
Once he or she is in flow everyone describes the experience the same way. In and during flow: time goes by quickly, exhilaration is felt, and a sense of purpose is discovered. This results in the consciousness of the self being ordered into a state where disorder has been minimized, organized, or halted to a level where one is in flux with the engagement of flow - the optimal experience of everyday life. Below I will share parts of the book I liked the most from all the experiences given from people the author studied.
Page 135 "The Astrophysics Lover"
Csikszentmihalyi discusses in this part of the book a teacher whose name was Subrahhmanyan Chandrasekhar. He left India in 1933. On his way of travel to England he wrote out a model of stellar evolution within time that became to be known as the basis of black holes. He was in love with astrophysics and his theories. Many of his peers in the scientific community thought his ideas were weird, bizarre, and practically insane.
He decided to teach an advanced seminar in astrophysics in the University of Chicago. This class resulted in only two students signing up for. Imagine that? As if it wasn't discouraging enough as an educator to have two students he also had to commute 80 miles to teach that class. The University of Chicago assumed he would request to have that class canceled yet his love for astrophysics moved him to keep the class. Despite the distance needed to travel to teach the class of only two students, it was his immense passion, and ability to enter into a state of flow - optimal experience while teaching this subject that fueled him.
Money wasn't a factor in this case, neither was time, nor the urge for recognition. He didn't view the challenges negatively, which is quite apparent by keeping his class of only two students, and not canceling the course. He possibly found challenges enjoyable factors he looked forward to overcoming everyday, finding reward and achievement by being able to teach his two students the dynamics of astrophysics, and hopefully have them develop the same love he had for the subject. All for the sake of science.
Chandrasekhar's commitment paid off his student won the Nobel Prize for physics. Later in 1983 so did he. It was apparent from the start he never drove that far each day for the fame or prizes. They were merely flattering. As Csikszentmihalyi states:
It is complexity that brings forth enjoyment. It is that which engages one to participate in the experience life has to offer.
Page 173 "The Lone Widow"
In this section the author discusses how it is human's biological nature to want to be surrounded by its own species, simply because it validates existence, and ensures a higher rate of survival living among each other. In some cases there are humans that live to be alone by choice.
He introduces a female named Dorothy. She was originally employed in a respectful field of work as a nurse. After her husband died and children grew up she moved. She decided to take up residence on a lonely island that was small in Minnesota along the Canadian border.
In the three months of summer she spends her time socializing with the fisherman that travel pass her lake. During the winter she spends much of her time in solitude. She has developed a structure that ensures that she will keep her sanity within her extreme environment.
She has placed objects, signs, decoration throughout her property to remind her of familiarity of human existence. She places curtains over her windows to help her avoid validating the nerves over the threat she lives everyday: wolves that are no stranger to the area as they are part of the environment. She works her routine everyday for the entire year.
She awakes by five in the morning, checks hens for eggs, milks the goats, splits the wood, makes breakfast, washes, and fishes. Dorothy is sociable she can keep friendly conversation as well as hospitality among her own species. There is nothing wrong with her.
As far as Csikszentmihalyi is concerned she lives in a life where her routine prevents entropy from disordering her mind, she keeps communications with people when the weather isn't extreme, and welcomes the opportunity of interactions. She has validation of her existence when visitors arrive and even validation among the animals she cares for. She is always in flow opposed to the man who watches television who is in psychic entropy all day on the couch. To him she is perfectly sane in fact he thinks more so sane than a television addict.
Page 197 "The Homeless Wanderer"
In this section the reader is put into perspective about the sides of existence that exist aside from an everyday working man. It's noted that the working man doesn't glance at his world: homeless people another existence in our today.
Are they subjects to psychic entropy? He asks the reader. According to his research, no, not all homeless people are victims to psychic entropy. He introduces to us a man who has no material possessions, no home - nothing, he sleeps in park benches.
Randomly he washes dishes for money and eats at charity kitchens. He migrated from Egypt to Europe. Since that day of his migration he devotes every single day to himself. During his journey he has seen extremes: war, hunger, death take over people who were his friends.
Friends that provided a relationship of balance that validated his existence and helped him forget the universe was not made to comfort man. Despite the horrors he has seen and been exposed to he lives in flow - he devoted himself to a life of spiritual conquest.
He is in tune with his spirituality and not material possessions. He devotes his existence to God and his existence is validated through prayer. He states that he could have had a regular life in Egypt, worked, married, because all the opportunities were offered, and he could have taken them.
He decided to live a life where he could sleep with the poor. His story is genuine. According to him, he feels one must suffer the extremes of life to become a man. His state of existence is a right one, his laws of consciousness are correct he defines himself as his own self through his way of life. His life is a valid existence. He isn't subject to psychic entropy. As Csikszentmihalyi states:
Man has the right to defend his happiness but he shouldn't have to.
What right does another have to disclaim what another man's consciousness defines as happiness? He is not in a state of physic entropy (or harming those around him). As a species we welcome individuality that sets one apart from the rest. Homelessness, homeless people, they are different, but some of them do experience true flow.
Conclusion:
It is the complexities in life that bring forth enjoyment to all. The action of participating and reclaiming human experience ensures the species is on track towards the pursuit of happiness. Happiness ensures energy is being devoted by man positively by reinforcing his existence.
Flow - is a key component in knowing what gives you purpose to continue. It's vital to know how to separate biological needs and identify the constructs in society that shield him. This allows the organization of the self to begin in order to birth consciousness (awareness) to know, feel, and find happiness.
Brief Discussion:
Let's have a brief discussion together and interact with one another in a comment thread below by answering these questions. No answer is right or wrong. Apply your answers that reflect your individuality and what you believe it is. You don't have to answer all of them if you don't want to.
- What is happiness to you?
- What biological factors unique to you are in and against your favor?
- What constructs in the society you are living in protect you from chaos?
- Can you control your biological cravings? (Do you struggle to control them? What are they?)
- What cultural ideals in your culture you see or hear and know that isn't a form of obtaining happiness?
- Are you participating with life and making relationships with those around you?
- What are the challenges you face that make your experience positive?
- Have you experienced flow? When did or when do you experience flow?
I highly suggest you read this book when you have the chance. It is very fun and insightful. Growth will surely come from reading this. Did you enjoy this article? Let me know. Maybe I'll post another post on another book I enjoyed similar to this format.