Character strengths are positive traits that are vital for living a good life. They exist in all cultures, have moral worth, and manifest in a person's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. According to Peterson & Seligman (2004), the 24 universal character strengths, grouped by six core virtues, are: Wisdom: Creativity, Curiosity, Open-Mindedness, Love of Learning, Perspective Courage: Bravery, Perseverance, Honesty, Zest Humanity: Love, Kindness, Social Intelligence Justice: … [Read more...]
When Reason Needs Emotion: The Problem of Rational Foresight
You are on a good path in life when you do your true will (what you truly want), leading you towards eudaimonia (long-term well-being). Your rational true will aims at a goal and listens to reason, which calculates the outcome probabilities of actions. You use reason to estimate how potential actions will affect eudaimonia, and then you choose the path of action with the most desirable consequences. This is how you make good life decisions, right? Well, not quite... The problem of rational … [Read more...]
On the Power of Thought
What is the power of mind? Definitions Thought = a mental process = a conscious cognitive process Power of mind = the causal efficacy of thought = the capacity of mental processes to create changes in the world Two types of mind power Natural causal efficacy. Thoughts indirectly influence the external world through intentional behavior. Spiritual causal efficacy. Thoughts directly influence the external world through psychic forces. The second type of mind power is … [Read more...]
Why Positive Thinking Is Bullshit
I recently wrote an article on How to Live a Good Life by Doing Your True Will, and you might have noticed that nothing in that post refers to thoughts, beliefs, or the power of mind. This is because these concepts are hugely overrated and commonly misused. What makes thoughts useful is that they can be structured by reason to make plans and solve problems. Likewise, beliefs are useful if they map on to reality. And the power of mind? Well, there are psychological mechanisms like placebo … [Read more...]
Are Consequences All That Matter? (Intentions Vs. Outcomes)
The True Will is the chief principle of decision making. A man doing his True Will acts in a way that maximizes eudaimonia. So what matters are the outcomes of his actions, its consequences for well-being. Does this make his intentions, his state of mind, irrelevant? Imagine a man punching another man in the face in an act of self-defense that we assume maximizes eudaimonia. Does it matter whether the man threw his punches out of reactive anger and ill intent or out of mindcoolness? It … [Read more...]
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