Most enjoyable activities are not natural; they demand an effort that initially one is reluctant to make. But once the interaction starts… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
A person who forgoes the use of his symbolic skills is never really free. — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
Most of us become so rigidly fixed in the ruts carved out by genetic programming and social conditioning that we ignore the… — 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
Unless a person knows how to give order to her thoughts, attention will be attracted to whatever is most problematic at the… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
Our jobs determine to a large extent what our lives are like. Is what you do for a living making you ill?… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
Few things are sadder than encountering a person who knows exactly what he should do, yet cannot muster enough energy to do… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
A self that is only differentiated - not integrated - may attain great individual accomplishments, but risks being mired in self-centered egotism.… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
A thoroughly socialized person is one who desires only the rewards that others around him have agreed he should long for -… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times...the best moments usually occur when a person's body or… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
We have all experienced times when, instead of being buffeted by anonymous forces, we do feel in control of our actions, masters… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
Even without success, creative persons find joy in a job well done. Learning for its own sake is rewarding. — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
To be creative, a person has to internalize the entire system that makes creativity possible. Creative individuals are remarkable for their ability… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
The more a person feels skilled, the more her moods will improve; while the more challenges that are present, the more her… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
Happiness is a condition that must be prepared for, cultivated , and defended privately by each person. — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
Try to be inspired by something every day. Try to inspire at least one person every day. — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
Enjoyment appears at the boundary between boredom and anxiety, when the challenges are just balanced with the person's capacity to act. — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
To overcome the anxieties and depressions of contemporary life, individuals must become independent of the social environment to the degree that they… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
“What I “discovered” was that happiness is not something that happens. It is not the result of good fortune or random chance.… — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
For a person to become deeply involved in any activity it is essential that he knows precisely what tasks he must accomplish,… — 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 Image
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 Image
People without an internalized symbolic system can all too easily become captives of the media. — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Copy Share Image
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 Image
“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 Image
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 Image
“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 Image
“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 Image
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 Image
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 Image
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 Image
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 Image
