--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Positive emotion can be about the past…" description: "\"Positive emotion can be about the past, the present, or the future. The positive emotions about the future include optimism, hope, faith, and trust. Th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f75/martin-seligman-5268_calm_positive-emotion-can-be-about-the-past-t_1083738.jpg" --- # Positive emotion can be about the past, the present, or… ![“Positive emotion can be about the past, the present, or the future. The positive emotions about the future include optimism, hope, faith, and trust. Those about the present include joy, ecstasy, calm, zest, ebullience, pleasure, and (most importantly) flow; these emotions are what most people…” quote by Martin Seligman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f75/martin-seligman-5268_calm_positive-emotion-can-be-about-the-past-t_1083738.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f75/martin-seligman-5268_calm_positive-emotion-can-be-about-the-past-t_1083738.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f75/martin-seligman-5268_calm_positive-emotion-can-be-about-the-past-t_1083738.jpg) > “Positive emotion can be about the past, the present, or the future. The positive emotions about the future include optimism, hope, faith, and trust. Those about the present include joy, ecstasy, calm, zest, ebullience, pleasure, and (most importantly) flow; these emotions are what most people usually mean when they casually-but much too narrowly-talk about "happiness." The positive emotions about the past include satisfaction, contentment, fulfillment, pride, and serenity.” [Martin Seligman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-seligman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Positive emotions span time: future optimism, present joy/flow, past satisfaction, shaping well‑being. **In simple terms:** Positive feelings differ by past, present, future. Key Takeaway Cultivate balanced emotions across time. Themes well‑being emotion psychology Mood hopeful reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - therapy sessions - coaching - personal reflection - goal setting - mindfulness practice Key Concepts optimism hope joy flow satisfaction pride Questions to Reflect On - How do you currently balance past, present, and future emotions? - Which time‑focused emotion feels most missing? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on one time frame can neglect other emotional needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Calm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calm/) [Contentment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contentment/) [Ecstasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ecstasy/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions/) [Emotions Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions-future-312461/) [Flow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flow/) [Fulfillment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fulfillment/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-positive-1924235/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Hope faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope-faith/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Optimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimism/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive/) [Positive Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-emotion-600860/) [Positive emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-emotions/) [Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pride/) [Satisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfaction/) [Serenity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serenity/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Zest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zest/) ## Related quotes > [There are only two emotions from our perspective … The one that feels good, that feeling of hope or happiness or love. 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Of course,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dilgo-khyentse-rinpoche/to-expect-happiness-without-giving-up-negative-action-is-like-holding/) [Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dilgo-khyentse-rinpoche/) > [For me, stardom is feeling happiness and being positive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sridevi/for-me-stardom-is-feeling-happiness-and-being-positive/) [Sridevi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sridevi/) > [There are no plans that always work in life. 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They want justice; they want meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-seligman/what-humans-want-is-not-just-happiness-they-want-justice-they-want/) [Martin Seligman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-seligman/) > [I have spent most of my life working with mental illness. I have been president of the world's largest association of mental-illness workers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-seligman/i-have-spent-most-of-my-life-working-with-mental-illness-i-have-been/) [Martin Seligman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-seligman/) > [Finding permanent and universal causes for misfortune is the practice of despair...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-seligman/finding-permanent-and-universal-causes-for-misfortune-is-the-practice/) [Martin Seligman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-seligman/) > [We deprive our children, our charges, of persistence. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ripa/don-t-get-divorced-after-your-first-argument-i-have-a-lot-of-friends/) [Kelly Ripa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ripa/) > [The goal of the operation is to send Gaza back to the Middle Ages, only then will Israel be calm for the next 40 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ben-ari/the-goal-of-the-operation-is-to-send-gaza-back-to-the-middle-ages/) [Michael Ben-Ari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ben-ari/) > [No physiologist who calmly considers the question in connection with the general truths of his science, can long resist the conviction that different parts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/no-physiologist-who-calmly-considers-the-question-in-connection-with/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [When I was a child I truly loved: Unthinking love as calm and deep As the North Sea. 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