Getting Schooled

If you've been reading the blog, you know that hardly a post goes by without my dropping some "positive psychology" this or "Martin Seligman" that. This is because it's definitely an area that still fascinates me (unlike, say, decluttering).

I read in the paper this weekend that Claremont Graduate University is kicking off the first doctoral program in positive psychology. The program's leaders are Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Jeanne Nakamura, who, according to the article, "emphasize that their work is not aimed at a 'self-help' audience." Also, "they note that when the first few students begin the program this fall, their first year of study will be dominated by rigorous work in research methods and statistics."

I'm looking forward to seeing slogans for the program.
Happiness: It's Serious Business.
Butch Up: We're About to Find Out What Makes Life Worth Living.
Positive Psychology: It's Hard Science, People.

I'm curious to see what the coming decades will bring as the program gets off the ground and the first journal for positive psychology starts churning out research.

It seems as though anyone who writes about Csikszentmihalyi is prepared for him to become a household name because I've never read about the man without also seeing the pronounciation of his name. (It's CHICK-sent-me-high-ee.) I wonder if he has this in a contract somewhere, the Chick Sent Me High-ee clause.

Imagine trying to get a reporter to include this, though, the first time. Jennifer, can I interview you? Yes. And it's NESS-line. Did you get that? NESS-line. NESS-line. Did you write that down? I'll wait. No, go ahead. NESS-line. Thanks.