Entropy is the normal state of consciousness - a condition that is neither useful nor enjoyable. — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
Control over consciousness cannot be institutionaliz ed. As soon as it becomes part of a set of social rules and norms, it… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
We can transform reality to the extent that we influence what happens in consciousness and thus free ourselves from the threats and… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
“The mark of a person who is in control of consciousness is the ability to focus attention at will, to be oblivious… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
“Flow” is the way people describe their state of mind when consciousness is harmoniously ordered, and they want to pursue whatever they… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
Pleasure is an important component of the quality of life, but by itself it does not bring happiness. Pleasure helps to maintain… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
A person can make himself happy, or miserable, regardless of what is actually happening 'outside,' just by changing the contents of consciousness. — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
Whatever the dictates of fashion, it seems that those who take the trouble to gain mastery over what happens in consciousness do… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
“Entropy is the normal state of consciousness—a condition that is neither useful nor enjoyable. To avoid this condition, people are naturally eager… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
The downside, of course, is that over time religions become encrusted with precepts and ideas that are the antithesis of soul, as… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
For original ideas to come about, you have to let them percolate under the level of consciousness in a place where we… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
To know oneself is the first step toward making flow a part of one's entire life. But just as there is no… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
Flow is the process of achieving happiness through control over one's inner life. The optimal state of inner experience is order in… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
“The optimal state of inner experience is one in which there is order in consciousness. This happens when psychic energy—or attention—is invested… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
But to change all existence into a flow experience, it is not sufficient to learn merely how to control moment-by-moment states of… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
“Entropy is the normal state of consciousness—a condition that is neither useful nor enjoyable. To avoid this condition, people are naturally eager to fill… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share
Most enjoyable activities are not natural; they demand an effort that initially one is reluctant to make. But once the interaction starts to provide… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share
People without an internalized symbolic system can all too easily become captives of the media. — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share
Through learning we grow, becoming more than we were before, and in that sense learning is unselfish, because it results in the transformation of… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share
“Unfortunately, many people find the only challenges they can respond to are violence, gambling, random sex, or drugs. Some of these experiences can be… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share
It is essential to learn to enjoy life. It really does not make sense to go through the motions of existence if one does… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share
“It is usual to explain the motivation of those who enjoy dangerous activities as some sort of pathological need: they are trying to exorcise… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share
“Wisdom and integrity cannot be found in any single domain. A broader viewpoint that breaks across disciplinary boundaries is needed, a way of understanding… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share
For better or worse, our future will be determined in large part by our dreams and by the struggle to make them real. — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share
Many business leaders today view their jobs as entailing responsibility for the welfare of the wider community. These individuals do not define themselves as… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share
The rules themselves are clear enough, and within everyone’s reach. But many forces, both within ourselves and in the environment, stand in the way.… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share
When each of these three elements of vision-concern for excellence, for people and for the wider environment-are present, business is transformed from a tool… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share
If an enterprise does not aspire to be the best of its kind, it will attract second-rate employees, and it will be soon forgotten. — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share
Only direct control of experience, the ability to derive moment-by-moment enjoyment from everything we do, can overcome the obstacles to fulfillment. — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share