Flow | Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Why it is included: Why are we happy? It isn't relaxation.

Csikszentmihalyi’s massive research reveals that humans are happiest when they are stretched to their limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.

He calls this state Flow: the point where the "Self" vanishes, time distorts, and action and awareness merge.

It moves the concept of "going with the flow" from a vague spiritual idea to a precise psychological engineering problem.

It provides the 3 Conditions (Clear Goals, Immediate Feedback, and a balance of Challenge and Skill) required to transform any chaotic situation into a structured experience of order and enjoyment.

It is the scientific manual for turning life into a "Unified Field" of experience.