In
This Issue
1.
Chris Peterson to Teach Positive Psychology Master Class
2.
The Strength of Wisdom--Main Essay
3.
The MentorCoach Annual Conference in Sedona
4.
Two
No-Cost Coaching TeleWorkshops With Ben Dean, Ph.D.
5.
Upcoming Classes
1.
Chris
Peterson Master Class on Positive Psychology Interventions Launching
I'm
excited to announce that Chris Peterson is teaching a specially
designed 8-week class on positive psychology interventions and
practical applications
across these domains:
-
One's
personal life,
-
The
workplace,
-
Families
and schools,
-
Psychotherapy
and
-
Coaching
This
class is based, in part, on an Internet survey of 1464 adults
interested in positive psychology and who read Coaching Toward
Happiness. People
who filled out the survey listed their most important questions
about positive psychology, the interventions they currently
used in their work, and the one question they'd most like to
ask Chris if they had the chance.
Chris then built the class around their comments.
Chris
last taught this back in 2007 and the class evaluations were
extraordinary.
If
you'd like to take part, please note there is a $100 discount
if you register by 12/31/08.
Here's
the information:
Positive
Psychology Immersion 2 --The Applications in Action MasterClass
With Chris
Peterson, Ph.D.
DAY:
8 Tuesdays
WHEN:
Begins February 10, 2009
TIME:
1:00 pm to 1:59 pm Eastern (New York time)
TUITION: $695 (EARLY
BIRD TUITION: $595 until December 31, 2008)
For
more information and to enroll, click
here.
I'll
be taking Chris' class again.
I hope you can join us.
Warmly,
Ben
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
2.
Main Article--On Wisdom
The
Strength of Wisdom
By
Ben Dean, Ph.D.
Definition:
What is Wisdom?
The
strength of wisdom refers to the ability to take stock of life
in large terms, in ways that make sense to oneself and others
Wisdom
is the product of knowledge and experience, but it is more than
the accumulation of information. It is the coordination of this
information and its deliberate use to improve well-being. In
a social context, wisdom allows the individual to listen to
others, to evaluate what they say, and then offer them good
(sage) advice.
Famous
paragons of wisdom include the major religious leaders of history--leaders
such as Jesus, Lao-tzu, the Buddha, the Prophet. Famous statesmen
and stateswomen throughout history such as Winston Churchill,
and Eleanor Roosevelt are also exemplars of the strength of
wisdom.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Who
Studies Wisdom?
Since
the time of Aristotle, wisdom has been contemplated by philosophers,
theologians, and most anyone concerned with the Good Life and
how to live it. (For a good review of the history of wisdom,
see Assmann, 1994.)
In
recent psychological history, two major research groups stand
out as major contributors to the scientific study of wisdom:
Paul Baltes and his colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for
Human Development in Berlin and Robert Sternberg and colleagues
at Yale University. There is much overlap between the way the
two groups conceptualize wisdom and their research findings
are often complementary. Yet it is interesting to note the unique
theoretical slant that drives the research of each group.
Baltes
and colleagues define wisdom as expertise in the conduct and
meaning of life. According to their theory, a wise person is
someone who knows what is most important in life and how to
get it. He or she knows what constitutes the meaningful life
and how to plan for and manage such a life (Baltes & Staudinger,
2000).
Sternberg's
most recent definition of wisdom stems from his "balance theory
of wisdom." According to this theory, people are wise to the
extent that they use their intelligence to seek a common good.
They do so by balancing their own interests with those of other
people and those of larger entities (e.g., family, community,
country). Wise people can adapt to new environments, change
their environments, or select new environments to achieve an
outcome that includes but goes beyond their personal self-interest
(Sternberg, 1998)
*~*~*~*~*~*
Interesting
Research Findings About Wisdom
Wisdom
is a positive predictor of successful aging. In fact, wisdom
is more robustly linked to the well-being of older people than
objective life circumstances such as physical health, financial
well-being, and physical environment (Ardelt, 1997; Baltes,
Smith, & Staudinger, 1992; Bianchi, 1994; Clayton, 1982;
Hartman, 2000).
In
a fascinating study of women through midlife, Hartman (2000)
found that those women who made major changes in the domains
of love and work were higher in the development of wisdom by
midlife. Interestingly, she found that making life changes in
the 30s appeared to have a particularly positive effect on the
development of wisdom.
Experiencing
stressful life events across time can facilitate the development
of wisdom--up to a point. People seem to benefit from stressful
life experiences, particularly if they respond well to them.
But as the ratio of negative to positive life experiences tips
in favor of the negative, wisdom is inhibited (Hartman, 2000).
Wisdom
is distinct from intelligence as measured by IQ tests (Sternberg,
2000). Indeed, Sternberg goes so far as to suggest that intelligent,
well-educated people are particularly susceptible to four fallacies
that inhibit wise choices and actions. You can read more about
these fallacies in Sternberg's entertaining book Why Smart People
Can Be So Stupid (2003), but I will summarize them here. As
you read the list, see if you can generate relevant examples
of famous political and business leaders who have been susceptible
to these fallacies.
-
The
Egocentrism Fallacy: thinking that the world revolves, or
at least should revolve, around you. Acting in ways that
benefit yourself, regardless of how that behavior affects
others.
-
The
Omniscience Fallacy: believing that you know all there is
to know and therefore do not have to listen to the advice
and counsel of others
-
The
Omnipotence Fallacy: believing that your intelligence and
education somehow make you all-powerful.
-
The
Invulnerability Fallacy: believing that you can do whatever
you want and that others will never be able to hurt you
or expose you.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Developing
Wisdom
-
In
addition to watching out for the four fallacies listed above,
consider the following wisdom-building activities compiled,
in part, by psychologist Jonathan Haidt;
-
Read
the works of great thinkers and religious leaders (e.g.,
Gandhi, Buddha, Jesus, Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela).
Read classic works of literature. Contemplate the wisdom
of the ages
-
Think
of the wisest person you know. Try to live each day as that
person would live.
-
Look
up prominent people in history and learn their views on
important issues of their day.
-
Volunteer
at a nursing home and talk with residents about their lives
and the lessons they have learned.
-
Subscribe
to two news editorial publications that are on opposite
ends of the political spectrum (e.g., The National Review
for the conservative perspective and The Nation for the
liberal perspective). Read them both and consider both sides
of the issues.
Remember
that wisdom, like all of the character strengths we will cover
in this series, exists on a continuum and can be developed with
effort.
*~*~*~*~*~*
References and Recommended Readings
Assman,
A. (1994). Wholesome knowledge: Concepts of wisdom in a historical
and cross-cultural perspective. In D. L. Featherman, R.M. Lerner,
& M. Perlmutter (Eds.), Life-span development and behavior
(Vol. 12, pp. 187-224). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Baltes,
P.B. & Staudinger, U.M. (2000). Wisdom: A metaheuristic
(pragmatic) to orchestrate mind and virtue toward excellence.
American Psychologist, 55, 122-136.
Bianchi,
E. (1994). Elder wisdom: Crafting your elderhood. New York:
Crossroad.
Clayton,
V.P. (1982). Wisdom and intelligence: The nature and function
of knowledge in the later years. International Journal of Aging
and Human Development, 15, 315-321.
Hartman,
P.S. (2000). Women developing wisdom: Antecedents and correlates
in a longitudinal sample. Unpublished doctoral dissertation,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Peterson,
C. and Seligman, M. E. P. (Eds.). Character strengths and virtues:
A handbook and classification. New York: Oxford University Press.
Sternberg
(2003). Why smart people can be so stupid. New Haven, CT: Yale
University Press.
Sternberg,
R. J. (2000). Intelligence and wisdom. In R. J. Sternberg (Ed.),
Handbook of intelligence (pp. 631-649). Cambridge, England:
Cambridge University Press.
Sternberg,
R. J. (1999). Schools should nurture wisdom. In B.Z. Presseisen
(Ed.), Teaching for intelligence (pp. 55-82). Arlington Heights,
IL: Skylight Training and Publishing.
Sternberg, R. J. (1998). A balance theory
of wisdom. Review of General Psychology, 2, 347-365.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
3.
The 7th Annual MentorCoach Conference in Sedona, Arizona
-- January 29-31, 2009
Keynote
Speaker:
Sonja
Lyubomirsky, Ph.D.
I'd
love to invite you to our annual conference in Sedona.
It's open to all MentorCoach students and anyone who
has ever taken a single MentorCoach class (for example, classes
with Sonja Lyubomirsky or Chris Peterson or any of our other
master classes).
The
conference will be great,
and there are few places more beautiful than Sedona.
For
more information, click
here.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
4.
Two
No-Cost Coaching TeleWorkshops With Ben Dean, Ph.D.
Join
Ben for a two-hour no-charge coaching TeleWorkshop.
Each TeleWorkshop will include a drawing where one participant,
from each TeleWorkshop, will win a 100% tuition waiver to the
MentorCoach Foundations Program!
These
two TeleWorkshops will include live coaching sessions and a
virtual drawing for a full tuition fellowship to the Foundations
training Program. Bring all questions.
COACHING
TELEWORKSHOP #1
WITH:
Ben
Dean, Ph.D.
WHEN:
Monday, January 12, 2009
TIME:
7:00
- 8:59 pm Eastern
Click
here to register!
COACHING
TELEWORKSHOP #2
WITH:
Ben Dean, Ph.D.
WHEN:
Friday, January 16, 2009
TIME:
12:00 - 1:59 pm Eastern
Click
here to register!
5.
MentorCoach January Classes: Foundations
MCP
130 Mondays
31 Wednesdays
8:00 pm - 8:59 pm Eastern (New York Time)
International Time (UTC/GMT) add four hours
Starts Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Faculty: Margaret
Wilkinson, Ph.D.
MCP
131 Tuesdays
31
Tuesdays
12 noon - 12:59 pm Eastern (New York Time)
International Time (UTC/GMT) add four hours
Starts Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Faculty: Kim
Kirmmse Toth, LCSW, ACC
MCP
132 Thursdays
31
Thursdays
8:00 pm - 8:59 pm Eastern (New York Time)
International Time (UTC/GMT) add four hours
Starts Thursday, February 26, 2009
Faculty: Margart
Wilkinson, Ph.D.
For
more information, click
here.
MentorCoach
MasterClasses
Positive
Psychology Immersion 2--The Applications in Action MasterClass
with Chris Peterson, Ph.D.
8
Tuesdays
Begins
February 10, 2009
From: 1:00 pm to 1:59 pm Eastern (New York time)
Tuition: $695
(EARLY
BIRD TUITION: $595 until December 31, 2008)
Faculty:
Chris
Peterson, Ph.D.
Small
Business Coaching MasterClass
12
Tuesdays
Begins Tuesday, 1/20/09
From
5:00 -- 5:59 pm Eastern (New York Time)
Faculty:
Anne
Durand, MCC
Executive
Coaching MasterClass
24
Tuesdays
Begins
Tuesday, 3/17/09
7:00
- 7:59 pm Eastern (New York Time)
Faculty: Anne
Durand, MCC
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
About
Ben Dean -- Ben, Editor of Coaching Toward Happiness, is a coach,
psychologist, founder of MentorCoach, and... MORE.
Copyright 2006-2008. Coaching Toward Happiness. All rights
reserved.
