Understanding Human Behavior & Well-being Concepts

Posted on Jul 17, 2025 in Other subjects

Understanding Human Behavior & Well-being

Paul Ekman’s Seven Basic Emotions

  • Disgust
  • Anger
  • Sadness
  • Happiness
  • Fear
  • Surprise
  • Contempt (added later by Ekman)

Defining “Feeling”

Feeling: The personal, subjective experience of an emotion, distinct from the emotion itself.

Embracing the Present Moment

Fully embracing each moment leads to heightened awareness, joy, and effectiveness in daily life. This involves:

  1. Living in the Now: Being fully present in each moment.
  2. Active Listening: Attending to others without distraction, embodying presence.
  3. Synergy: The combination of living in the now and active listening enhances connections, understanding, and overall well-being.

Flow: Immersion in the Moment

Flow is a state of complete absorption in an activity, where every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, much like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.

Flow exemplifies living in the now—fully engaged, undistracted by the past or future, embodying active listening and focused attention.

Benefits of Achieving Flow

  • Enhances creativity, productivity, and learning.
  • Increases happiness and reduces stress.
  • Improves performance in personal and professional activities.

Foundational Concepts: Values, Morals, and Ethics

Values

  • Essence: Values are your personal ‘favorites’ in life – what you naturally choose or prefer because they hold special meaning to you.
  • Example: Just as you might value a family heirloom for its personal significance, you might also value honesty because you feel it’s important.

Morals

  • Essence: Morals are your personal rulebook – the “shoulds” and “should nots” you believe in, guiding how you act.
  • Example: If you were taught that sharing is good, then your moral rulebook tells you to share your snacks at lunch.

Ethics

  • Essence: Ethics are like the game rules in society or a profession – the standards everyone agrees to follow to play fair and right.
  • Example: Just as there are rules that dictate how to play soccer fairly, there are ethics that outline how a business should operate transparently and without deception.

Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development

Psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg proposed a theory of how humans learn and develop morality, often tested using the Heinz dilemma. He identifies three levels of moral development:

Levels of Moral Development

  • Preconventional Level: Driven by self-interest and pleasurable outcomes.
    Example: “He should take the drug because he will have it.”
  • Conventional Level: Conforming to law and maintaining a positive self-image around others.
    Example: “He shouldn’t take the drug because you’re not supposed to steal; everybody will think you are a bad person.”
  • Postconventional Level: Based on complex reasoning and abstract principles.
    Example: “It’s wrong to steal, but if the law is unfair, then stealing is justified.”

Leadership vs. Management

What is the difference between a leader and a manager? A manager will impose orders simply because they have the authority to do so, without needing to explain why. However, a leader gains the trust of their teams and does not need to impose anything, as explaining and exemplifying are sufficient.

Leadership Skills: Assertive Communication

Assertive communication is a key leadership skill. What this looks like:

  • Expressing Needs and Opinions clearly.
  • Active Listening to others.
  • Maintaining Emotional Control.
  • Respecting Boundaries.

Benefits of Being Assertive

  • More self-confident.
  • Make great leaders.
  • Negotiate successful “win-win” solutions.
  • Are better doers and problem-solvers.
  • Are less anxious and stressed.

Other communication styles include aggressive and passive.

The 3 Cs of Assertive Communication

  1. Confident: You believe in your ability to handle the situation and remain composed.
  2. Clear: The message is easy to understand and not exaggerated.
  3. Controlled: You are “tracking” the other person and modulate yourself if necessary.

Understanding Empathy

Empathy is the ability to emotionally understand what other people feel, see things from their point of view, and imagine yourself in their place. Essentially, it is putting yourself in someone else’s position and feeling what they must be feeling.

Positive Psychology: Foundations and Core Concepts

The Roots of Positive Psychology

  • Emphasizes strengths, well-being, and flourishing.
  • Emerged as a distinct field in the late 1990s.
  • Term introduced by Martin Seligman in his 1998 APA Presidential address.
  • Martin Seligman is often considered the father of modern positive psychology.
  • Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is known for his work on the concept of ‘flow’.

Core Concepts of Positive Psychology (PERMA)

  • Positive Emotions: Joy, Gratitude, Serenity – enhancing life’s experiences.
  • Engagement/Flow: Deep immersion and absorption in activities – being ‘in the zone.’
  • Relationships: Strong social connections – key to happiness and fulfillment.
  • Meaning: A sense of purpose and contribution – going beyond oneself.
  • Achievement: Pursuing and attaining goals – leading to personal satisfaction and growth.