Positive Psychology Explained by Julio Licinio

What does it mean to be happy? Psychology expert, Julio Licinio explains the specialized study of positive psychology.

Happiness is a subjective experience.  But for the most part, it is fair to say that this experience is something all people strive for. It comes as no surprise that in the field of psychology, a great deal of attention is paid to this subjective concept of happiness — particularly in the specialized study area known as positive psychology.

But what is positive psychology and what does it mean?

Julio Licinio explains Positive Psychology as a specialized field of study on the overall concept of what it means to be happy.  In broader terms, this focuses on ideas the likes of what makes life worth living — both from the individual and societal perspectives.

This domain of psychology has been prevalent since 1998, when Martin Seligman brought the theme to the attention of the American Psychological Association (of which he stood as President).  Seligman introduced the concept as a way to combat the misconception that mental health deals exclusively with illness or difficulty.  Although he pioneered the concept, he was inspired by the positive psychology term which was coined by Abraham Maslow.