Positive Psychology
Dr. Paul Wong
The Positive Psychology of Humility
The benefit and significance of humility as a virtue has been emphasized in positive psychology for a long time (Wright et al., 2016; Wong, 2003). Humility is a virtue worth having for everyone. Yet, positive psychologists are known to score low in humility. This...
Let Your Vulnerability be Your Strength
President's Column for the Positive Living Newsletter (March 2019). Read the rest of the newsletter here.Are you worried about being vulnerable? “Vulnerability” is derived from the Latin word vulnerare (to be wounded); it describes the potential to be injured...
The Maturing of Positive Psychology and the Emerging PP 2.0: A Book Review of Positive Psychology (3rd ed.) by William Compton and Edward Hoffman
Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness and Flourishing (3rd ed.) By William C. Compton and Edward Hoffman Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2019. 528 pp. ISBN 978-1544322926 $95.00 Reviewed by Paul T. P. WongAbstract Compton and Hoffman’s third edition of Positive...
From Shame to Wholeness: An Existential Positive Psychology Perspective
“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” (Genesis 3:7, NIV) According to this biblical story, shame, guilt, and anxiety are the tragic triangle of existential...
Two-Factor Theory of Search for Meaning
When life goes on smoothly and everything is simple, there seems to be no need to wrestle with existential concerns. Most people are happy to live their simple but shallow lives, revolving around “eat, drink, work, and be happy.” Unfortunately, even when living in one...
Four-Factor Theory of True Grit
“True grit is an unbreakable rope made of many strands: courage, faith, passion, and persistence.” — Dr. Paul T. P. Wong The dictionary defines grit as courage and resolve or strength of character. According to Perlis (2013), courage is also the most important...
Living with Cancer: A Case for PP 2.0 (Keynote, Meaning Conference 2018)
Abstract Cancer is a dreaded disease. A cancer prognosis could change one’s life in many ways. This keynote was a personal account of how I developed and tested existential positive psychology (or PP 2.0) as a resilient way to cope with cancer and suffering. After...
Mature Happiness and Global Wellbeing in Difficult Times
Authors Co-authored with Victoria Bowers, Ph.D. candidate, Saybrook University. Abstract The starting point in the wellbeing research of this chapter is that life is full of sufferings, just as the living environment is full of bacteria, viruses, and toxins....
How to Write a Good Manuscript Review
Have the Necessary Expertise Do not review manuscripts beyond your scope of competency. Journals are more likely to publish papers with serious errors or deficiencies if their manuscripts have not gone through rigorous review by reviewers with the necessary expertise....
Chinese Indigenous Psychology and PP 2.0 (Overview) (Taiwan Society of Adlerian Psychology, Taiwan)
A comprehensive and workable model of global well-being needs to have the following elements: It integrates the best ideas from East and West, ancient and modern days. It integrates the biological, social, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of personhood. It...
Meaning-Centered Positive Education (Overview) (Fo Guang University & National Kaohsiung Normal University, Taiwan)
As educators, we are faced with the challenging question of how to prepare young people for an uncertain future of accelerated change, intensified global competition, and turbulent political waves. In this context, we realize that we need a whole person...
Meaning and Flourishing in Suffering (Overview) (Fo Guang University, Taiwan)
This presentation provides a new perspective on flourishing based on the second wave of positive psychology (PP 2.0) (Wong, 2011). It first emphasizes the importance of the contextual principle of well-being. More specifically, this principle posits that,...