...Government Promote Positive Liberty? The idea of liberty, or freedom, varies between different theorists. One theorist, Isaiah Berlin, focused on the difference between two different ways of thinking about political liberty (Cherniss & Hardy, 2010). Berlin called these two different concepts negative and positive liberty. According to Berlin, negative freedom can be defined as ‘freedom from’, that is, freedom from constraint or interference of others. In contrast, positive freedom can be defined in two ways: ‘freedom to’, that is the ability to pursue and achieve willed goals; and also as autonomy or self-rule, as opposed to the dependence on others (Cherniss & Hardy, 2010). Keeping the idea of positive liberty at the forefront, this essay will focus on what positive liberty is and whether the government should promote it. As already mentioned, positive liberty can be defined as the ‘freedom to’ (Cherniss & Hardy, 2010). Smith (2008) adds that positive liberty is “the idea of self-government”. Under positive liberty, a person may decide how they wish to live, but they may unconsciously conform to the beliefs of society, religion or their parents (Smith, 2008). Positive liberty asks the question of “Who, or what, is the source of control or interference?” (Garner et al., 2012). Positive liberty therefore emphasizes the source of control, rather than the area of control associated with negative liberty (Garner, Ferdinand & Lawsom, 2012). Positive liberty is the...
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...Happiness and Positive Emotions The United States Declaration of Independence states: “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”. To mention happiness in such an important document that would later go on to be the foundation of an entire country, carries a lot of weight and meaning. Most Americans agree that happiness is an important part of one’s life. Even though different cultures have a different perception of happiness, it is still plays a significant role. Research has been done which states people who are happier achieve better life outcomes, including financial success, supportive relationships, mental health, and even physical health and longevity. Having read the chapter of happiness and positive emotions and a few articles, I will related the readings and research to my own understanding and interpretation of how each plays a role in my life. Research on positive emotions, such as happiness, compassion, love and hope, is relatively new. Most scientists who study emotions focus on negative states such as depression, anxiety, and fear. Psychologists spend most of their time trying to help people control those states, whereas happiness is a positive emotion that does not need any help to overcome. Researchers have trouble defining and measuring happiness, and have concluded that happiness does not fit the definition of an emotion. The authors of Emotion, Shiota and Kalat, state that happiness qualifies more as a mood or affect, and people with a happy personality...
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...Thesis Statement: Are you a positive thinker? Sometimes in life we have problems whether it involves financially, decision making, addiction, personal issues and family.People these days try to avoid problems but they come back and become worse or some people think that the solution to problems is taking drugs. I feel like being a positive thinker helps people have long lasting happy lives, my dad’s way of motivating me whenever i’m feeling down and makes you a successful person.But some people have too many problems that they can’t control so they turn to drugs or even commit suicide.Why can’t those type of people think positively? Most people just act in a negative way, we control ourselves and our actions.For an example a mindset of a positive...
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...Distinguish between negative freedom and positive freedom, and explain the significance to the state.{15} Negative liberty is the absence of obstacles, barriers or constraints. One has negative liberty to the extent that actions are available to one in this negative sense. Positive liberty is the possibility of acting — or the fact of acting — in such a way as to take control of one's life and realize one's fundamental purposes. While negative liberty is usually attributed to individual agents, positive liberty is sometimes attributed to collectivities, or to individuals considered primarily as members of given collectivities. The idea of distinguishing between a negative and a positive sense of the term ‘liberty’ goes back at least to Kant, and was examined and defended in depth by Isaiah Berlin in the 1950s and ’60s. Discussions about positive and negative liberty normally take place within the context of political and social philosophy. They are distinct from, though sometimes related to, philosophical discussions about free will. Work on the nature of positive liberty often overlaps, however, with work on the nature of autonomy. As Berlin showed, negative and positive liberty are not merely two distinct kinds of liberty; they can be seen as rival, incompatible interpretations of a single political ideal. Since few people claim to be against liberty, the way this term is interpreted and defined can have important political implications. Political liberalism tends...
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...ehind every successful move there must be a string of positive thought patterns. An individual's ability to think positively whenever they are met with challenges is the main secret behind successful undertakings. Every motivational speaker will quite as much point out the benefits of believing in oneself before performing any task, not only this but a mental tendency of optimism is quite effective in attaining success in every facet of life. Positive self affirmation makes it easier for the mind to generate positive thoughts in regards to the situation at hand. It is very important for an individual to maintain good brain activity should they be interested in performing successful undertaking. It is very important to understand that the brain learns and acts as directed and that an individual's lifestyle has a huge outcome on the kind of thoughts produced at any given time. As most of you are probably aware of the brain is the central commanding post of any activity in the human body. The state of an individual's mind dictates...
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...Positive organizational behaviour (POB) is defined by Luthans (2003) as the “study and application of positively oriented human resource strengths and psychological capacities that can be measured, developed, and effectively managed for performance improvement in today’s workplace” (p. 178) According to Luthans and Youssef, the definition of POB includes positive psychological capacities or resources that can be validly measured, developed, and have performance impact. The constructs that have been determined so far to best meet these criteria are efficacy, hope, optimism, and resiliency. Positive psychology has emerged and gained momentum as an approach that redirects focus from what is wrong with people or organizations toward one that emphasizes human strengths that allow individuals, groups, and organizations to thrive and prosper. The overall goal of positive psychology is to create organized systems that actualize human potential (Peterson & Spiker, 2005) Applied positive psychology is concerned with facilitating good lives and enabling people to be at their best. In Industrial Organizational (I/O) psychology, positive psychology applications are represented throughout work on transformational leadership, employee engagement, positive organizational scholarship, POB, appreciative inquiry, and strengths-based organization. Over the years, both management practitioners and academics have generally assumed that positive workplaces lead to desired outcomes. Additionally,...
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...Abstract In this paper I will discuss a comparison of positive psychology and master resiliency training (MRT). They compare in that one’s life, to be successful whether in the civilian world or military it is essential that the mindset maintains a positive outlook, additionally they are different in content rather than context. Positive Psychology and Resilience Factor In a tactical shift from contemporary definition of psychology, positive psychology refers to the study of happiness. For a long time, psychology sought to define dysfunction among people with more focus on individuals who suffered mental illness and/ or psychological related problems. Psychologists always have the intention to help their patients, positive psychology regards it as one sided because it does not consider the positives of a psychologically tormented patient (Shatte & Reivich 2002). Therefore, this new field of psychology looks at how people can attain more happiness and life fulfillment. In this field, psychology researchers look at issues such as pleasure, strengths, and talents among others. The ability to carry on even when things are not going your way best defines resilience. When this happens, an individual is able to adapt to changes in situations. Resilience is a much needed ingredient to happiness and a happy life (2002). In this paper, analyses of positive psychology are discussed; furthermore, it will compare advocating a positive outcome, the development of self-esteem, and an individual’s...
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...Positive affirmations are simple sentences, which you can use to explain how you want to feel in life, what situations and circumstances you consider perfect, and other such expectations. You need to say positive affirmations out loud in a way that affirms what you're saying is true. According to psychologists, positive affirmations help you build more confidence in life. With positive affirmations, you can change the way you feel about your personality, nature and characteristics. In addition to this, positive affirmations can change your basic perception about various circumstances surrounding yourself. It's worth mentioning that positive affirmations can lead you on a path toward success and achieving your goals. You can use positive affirmations like: I'm Feeling Confident. I Can Become More...
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...Negative liberty is the absence of obstacles, barriers or constraints. One has negative liberty to the extent that actions are available to one in this negative sense. Positive liberty is the possibility of acting — or the fact of acting — in such a way as to take control of one's life and realize one's fundamental purposes. While negative liberty is usually attributed to individual agents, positive liberty is sometimes attributed to collectivities, or to individuals considered primarily as members of given collectivities. The idea of distinguishing between a negative and a positive sense of the term ‘liberty’ goes back at least to Kant, and was examined and defended in depth by Isaiah Berlin in the 1950s and ’60s. Discussions about positive and negative liberty normally take place within the context of political and social philosophy. They are distinct from, though sometimes related to, philosophical discussions about free will. Work on the nature of positive liberty often overlaps, however, with work on the nature of autonomy. As Berlin showed, negative and positive liberty are not merely two distinct kinds of liberty; they can be seen as rival, incompatible interpretations of a single political ideal. Since few people claim to be against liberty, the way this term is interpreted and defined can have important political implications. Political liberalism tends to presuppose a negative definition of liberty: liberals generally claim that if one favors individual liberty...
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...Abstract In this paper I will discuss a comparison of positive psychology and master resiliency training (MRT). They compare in that one’s life, to be successful whether in the civilian world or military it is essential that the mindset maintains a positive outlook, additionally they are different in content rather than context. Positive Psychology and Resilience Factor In a tactical shift from contemporary definition of psychology, positive psychology refers to the study of happiness. For a long time, psychology sought to define dysfunction among people with more focus on individuals who suffered mental illness and/ or psychological related problems. Psychologists always have the intention to help their patients, positive psychology regards it as one sided because it does not consider the positives of a psychologically tormented patient (Shatte & Reivich 2002). Therefore, this new field of psychology looks at how people can attain more happiness and life fulfillment. In this field, psychology researchers look at issues such as pleasure, strengths, and talents among others. The ability to carry on even when things are not going your way best defines resilience. When this happens, an individual is able to adapt to changes in situations. Resilience is a much needed ingredient to happiness and a happy life (2002). In this paper, analyses of positive psychology are discussed; furthermore, it will compare advocating a positive outcome, the development of self-esteem, and an individual’s...
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...what the beliefs motivate on resulting actions or mindset and the emotional and behavioral consequences. 4. Disputation: Challenge beliefs and change consequences by promoting optimistic thoughts as opposed to any negative habitual thinking by analyzing the evidence that the negative beliefs are incorrect; look for alternative ways to look at the problem; determine the implications and impact on goals or life in general or in the long run; and question the usefulness of the beliefs. 5. Effect (New): Promote positivity and optimism by disputing negative responses, emotions, and behaviors, and looking for new effective ones to replace them. III. Expectation(s): By conducting this experiment, the expected results are the positive...
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...Secondly, factors that are related to the stimuli, factors including motion, size, proximity, sound and background. Thirdly, factors related to the situation or the environment, which includes time, work setting and social setting. A leap in the field of understanding ways to make the best of employee’s strengths was through a new perspective of the science of psychology itself; Martin Seligman wanted psychology to be thought of as the study of the best things in life. The aim of positive psychology is to use scientific methodology to discover factors that allow individuals, group, organizations and communities to thrive. There are three levels of positive psychology, valued subjective experiences, positive individual traits and civic virtues. Using the models that have come out of the positive psychology may better equip us to understand the degrees of separation between positive perception and positive outcome for the employee and organization. To further elaborate the levels of positive psychology,...
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...Seligman developed learned optimism, the idea that a talent for joy, like any other, can be educated. This concept through his study of learned helplessness is the idea that a certain re-occurring negative event is out of the person's control. He noticed that while some subjects blamed themselves for negative outcomes, others blamed the experiment for setting them up to fail. So what is it that keeps some people from ever becoming helpless? The answer is optimism. The article Can Positive Thinking Be Negative? Scott O. Lilienfeld and Hal Arkowitz explain the disadvantages of positive psychology and optimism. However, anyone can learn optimism. The difference between optimists and pessimists is in how they view failures and successes. Would...
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...Positive Behavior Intervention & Support Systems: A Longitudinal Study of Diverse Student Populations Amanda Longhini – Halbin American College of Education Abstract Positive behavior intervention and support systems (PBISS), also referred to as Positive Behavior Support Systems (PBSS), are research and evidence-based systems implemented into various educational settings in order to increase positive behaviors among diverse groups of students within its facility. By implementing a productive responsive classroom approach, where social skills strategies are explicitly taught, modeled, and reinforced to students within the school on a frequent basis, schools experience growth in positive behaviors, reduction in negative behaviors, and an improved climate for parents, students, staff and administration. Understanding the ideology of PBISS, one should be able to analytically examine longitudinal data in order to delineate a renewed focus on behavioral goals within the structure of a school. Positive Behavior Intervention & Support Systems: A Longitudinal Study of Diverse Student Populations For many years, research had been collected to analyze the effects of implementing reward systems for positive behavior in children with emotional and behavioral disorders. With swift interventions and creative incentives, the study demonstrated that such student populations can and do experience a more effective educational experience. Because the studies focused on...
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...Positive Psychology Areas of Focus in Relation to Interpersonal and Prosocial Behavior Carmen Amaya Park University 1. Abstract The concepts of Positive Psychology are explored through an intrapersonal, interpersonal, and pro-social lens using empirical research as the basis. The paper examines the history, intentions and scope of positive psychology in relationship to personal experiences and character traits that lead to personal effectiveness. The specific Areas of Focus examine the major principles of Positive Psychology and their importance with regards to; changes in emotional states, cognitive processes and experiences in juxtaposition with current research. The concepts and principles are then applied to current goals, plans and future application in respect to the workplace, environment and culture. Finally, the challenges, obstacles and unanswered questions are discussed in current applications of Positive Psychology. Keywords: Positive Psychology, resiliency, hope, theories, emotion, cognition 2. Positive Psychology Areas of Focus in Relation to Interpersonal and Pro-social Behavior Major Principles and Concepts The primary underlying assumption of positive psychology is that psychology should focus on encouraging people’s strengths rather than fixing their weaknesses (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi (2000) assert that as a new psychological paradigm, positive psychology rejects the disease...
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