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Finding Flow: The Psychology Of Engagement With Everyday Life
Part psychological study, part self-help book, Finding Flow is a prescriptive guide that helps us reclaim ownership of our lives. Based on a far-reaching study of thousands of individuals, Finding Flow contends that we often walk through our days unaware and out of touch with our emotional lives. Our inattention makes us constantly bounce between two extremes: during much ...more
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
April 6th 1998
by Basic Books
(first published 1997)
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Finding Flow is a more engaging and practical view of the ideas Csikzentmihalyi introduces in Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Definitely treading the fine line between good general psychology book and self-help. When I'm feeling in a bit of an existential funk, it's nice to pick this book up and become inspired by the stories and research on 'flow'. It reminds me of what's important to a good life: engagement and challenge that can make time seem to melt away.
This book is about gratifying work, which is the basis for a truly satisfying life. I've heard most of these ideas before, and experienced them firsthand during an intensive writing retreat I set up for myself, but this spells out how it works in theory and detail.
High points:
- People feel good when they do something they want to do, bad when they do something they think they have to do, and worst when they do something because they can't think of anything else to do. Bei...more
High points:
- People feel good when they do something they want to do, bad when they do something they think they have to do, and worst when they do something because they can't think of anything else to do. Bei...more
Summery: The author contrasts the idea of happiness (an emotional response to circumstance) to flow (a state of high-skill high-challenge engagement), suggesting happiness is typically poorly self-reported and flow is a considerably better measure of the quality of one's life.
Given this, how can we engage in more flow? The central theme is controlling our attention. First through interest, then through goals, finally through an understanding of ourselves and others.
...more
Given this, how can we engage in more flow? The central theme is controlling our attention. First through interest, then through goals, finally through an understanding of ourselves and others.
...more
Save yourself 2 hours and $14 and just head to your nearest Los Angeles new-age cafe and ask a stranger about the good life. From a University of Chicago Professor of Psychology, I expected more than unjustified blanket statements ("In the United States and other technologically advanced societies, individualism and materialism have almost completely prevailed over allegiance to the community and to spiritual values") and crackpot new-agey physics misinterpretations (Special relativit...more
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This book doesn't quite contain what I thought was advertised on the tin. I assumed that since Csikszentmihalyi previously wrote a book called Flow and this one was Finding Flow it would contain a bit more practical advice than it does. In truth, it's actually an explanation of what "flow" is, though written in a more approachable manner than his first book.
As you can guess, "flow" is that kind of moment where we we feel skillful, yet challenged, when all of our fo...more
As you can guess, "flow" is that kind of moment where we we feel skillful, yet challenged, when all of our fo...more
Flow is an interesting concept and a wonderful place to be in when reading. Flow is that state wherein everything disappears but the book you are reading. It's just you and the story. Flow also happens in other activities like writing or problem solving or listening to a fascinating talk. As a reader before my brain injury, I used to enter the state of flow effortlessly, but I didn't realise that was what I was doing until I read this book. It explained it well and why it's something to aspire t...more
I am the kind of reader who likes to keep from any kind of temple-spirited work of any self-proclaimed prophet. The title of this book promised a similar experience and I would have surely not given it a chance had it not been suggested to me by some people whose opinion I actually trusted. Again I realized that titles are more about marketing than the content itself as this book is the farthest from wanting to influence the reader with any more pressure than it would feel comfortable. Influence...more
Chris Webber
rated it
Recommends it for:
Anyone who finds satisfaction in life to be elusive
Shelves:
philosophy
I love this book. Along similar lines of the books Stumbling on Happiness and The Happiness Hypothesis, Finding Flow describes tools that contribute to a paradigm shift that help improve quality of life. Happiness is a loaded word, coming with all sorts of connotations depending on who is defining it. Religion likes to put a monopoly on what they feel is the formula to happiness. Motivational and health gurus contribute another formula. Stripped of bias' this book gets to the common sense...more
Main message: don't be lazy and sit in front of the TV all day--be involved with life. Live. Be engaged with what you do, and do things that you like. I read this a chunk at a time, so it took forever, but I enjoyed thinking about the ideas presented.
Interesting thoughts on work and leisure time: we don't know how to handle our leisure time (an idea I find intriguing) and even in the most mundane job we can still be fulfilled.
"Contemporary life, however, is not very...more
Interesting thoughts on work and leisure time: we don't know how to handle our leisure time (an idea I find intriguing) and even in the most mundane job we can still be fulfilled.
"Contemporary life, however, is not very...more
The book suggests that to live the most happy and fulfilled life one should focus on hight skill/high challenge activities that are meant to produce flow states instead of focusing on activities that usually give us a sense of happiness (meal times, entertainment, leisure). But serious lapses in logic coupled with my own contradicting life experiences kept me from completely buying into the author's idea. Still plenty of great ideas and things that make you go "mmmmmm...." (aka think)...more
This is a very good little (less than 200 page) book. The author (excuse my desire not to try spelling his last name) covers information that I've read in other books (though I think he may have originated some of the original research) on flow -- the sensation of losing yourself in some project or work.
Flow. according to the author, is achieved when a person is working on a challenging project that stretches their skill set but provides a good opportunity for success. A project that ...more
Flow. according to the author, is achieved when a person is working on a challenging project that stretches their skill set but provides a good opportunity for success. A project that ...more
There are two basic approaches to life, one where life just washes over you or where you wash over life. This is the difference between the engaged life vs. the passive. Some of the greatest meaning one will find in life is from experiences where they are passionately engaged in doing something they care about. When time stands still, and the sense of self dissolves, athletes call it being "in the zone", artists call it "aesthetic rapture", mystics call it "enlightenme...more
Claudia
rated it
Recommends it for:
teachers who want to understand kids' reading
Shelves:
professional-reading
This so explains how I and some of my kids can sit down to read, and come up for air when the bell rings, with no concept of where the time went. I have talked to my kids about this, and told them about this concept of flow...they nod, understanding that's what happens to them when they read...
I was going to work on a research project using flow at the focus, but alas, Jeff Wilhelm beat me to it. Mine wouldn't have been nearly as good, but I'm still excited about this connection.
I was going to work on a research project using flow at the focus, but alas, Jeff Wilhelm beat me to it. Mine wouldn't have been nearly as good, but I'm still excited about this connection.
This is one of those books I go back to again and again - like drawing water from the well. Nourishing validation of what I have discovered in my own life/work/mission - to "find flow" is to find that transcendent place where the noisy, distracted world drops away, time melts, and the creative process transports me - and invites me, as my grad studies research advisor Dr. Margaret Riel would tell us, "to find the most powerful version of you." What if this was a goal for lea...more
I started reading this book 5 years ago, but I stopped (for whatever reason) in the middle. Recently I took it out of the bookshelf and finished it. This book may be described as an "abridged" version of the original book, FLOW, by the same author. It is some sort of "highbrow" self-help, but this is not to belittle it. The ideas discussed were really interesting and it was useful, I think. The only downside, I guess, was the near unspellability of the author's name.
Csikszentmihalyi has written a book full of insight and interesting point of view, and I believe he has a unique perspective on his idea of finding flow and how it pertains to a fulfilling life. However, his narrative at times feels as though arrogance leaks through, and he tends to come across as a chastising parent telling his teen to turn of the television before her brain rots. Less lecture, more instruction might have appealed better to me.
Thought this was a very interesting read. Concepts I thought were interesting included 1) the combination of challenge and application of skill to make for highly engaging activities 2) the idea of passive versus active leisure, and 3) the concept of having an autotelic personality ("These personality traits include curiosity, persistence, low self-centeredness, and a high rate of performing activities for intrinsic reasons only").
Kevin
is currently reading it
By far the most-difficult-to-spell author name ever, Csikszentmihalyi's idea of "flow" finally brought into academic discussion the idea of identifying and analyzing what goes into optimal states of productivity. This guy seems to be well-versed in just about every discipline there is--art, history, literature--and his writing is so much fun to read.
The message is similar to that in in the authentic happiness book I just read. It helps with motivation for studying - although the research he uses is about teenagers - those that pursue studies or hobbies for greater lengths of time have higher self esteem and engagement with life - although not necessarily happier - oh well.
The premises of this book is interesting - to provide a new mindset to consider reality and act upon it. I wish that the arguments brought forth to sustain the flow hypothesis would be a bit more rigorous though, but the actual train of reasoning used by Csikszentmihalyi is not bad either. Liked the twist towards mysticism at the very end.
A quick and interesting read. I like that the concept of "flow" is something I typically practice, whether I had a term for it or not, and this book has given me insight on how to increase this flow in life. With a background in psychology, I appreciated that aspect of the book.
A very accessible, condensed, and practical view of the author's ideas. A great portal to explore his ideas, which are developed in greater depth by his other books. Another reason to start with this book- the back cover tells you how to pronounce his name.
Discusses being in touch with our emotional lives, how we use the time in our daily lives, and time management - focuses on how much of our time is wasted in areas with little chance for 'being in the zone' - interesting ideas, I enjoyed it
Aside from a total dismissal of religion (Currently reading "Toward a true kinship of faiths : how the world's religions can come together" / His Holiness the Dalai Lama, which should probably be inserted into that chapter), Czikszentmihalyi gives a nice overview of what flow is, that a balance of reaching just higher than current skill keeps us alert and engaged, that ego is lost in flow (farewell foul friend!), and that flow gives greater meaning and satisfaction than the pursuit of ...more
This book is, i think, a companion or loose sequel to another book, Flow. I wish I had read Flow, because finding flow is pretty crappy without a proper description of its main topic, IE, flow. It is mostly a soc-ec review of who and where Flow is found.
So, uh, boring.
Oh well.
So, uh, boring.
Oh well.
a really easy read and gives a practical look at how to shift your day to day activities to make life more full, more satisfying. i got a lot out of it, I think anyone would benefit from his research and advice.
This is one of the few times where I wish I could add error bars to my rating.
I suspect that what I really wanted to read was the author's previous book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. This one seems to assume that you are already convinced that flow is a universally good thing. I'm not yet convinced.
That said, some of the approaches suggested by the author to make otherwise dull jobs more interesting are tricks I've used myself, and they definitely work. ...more
I suspect that what I really wanted to read was the author's previous book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. This one seems to assume that you are already convinced that flow is a universally good thing. I'm not yet convinced.
That said, some of the approaches suggested by the author to make otherwise dull jobs more interesting are tricks I've used myself, and they definitely work. ...more
A big wake up call to get your butt off the couch and engage in active rather than passive leisure. Made me ask myself some tough questions, especially, "What does a good life look like to me?"
Written like a thesis vs. quick read self-help book. Many interesting insights but at times a bit arduous. The author teaches here at UofC. May have to meet him in person someday!
Great read. I would recommend this to parents. It made me want to turn off my blackberry, internet, iphone, etc. to try to focus on my work and hobbies.
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A Hungarian psychology professor, who emigrated to the United States at the age of 22. Now at Claremont Graduate University, he is the former head of the department of psychology at the University of Chicago and of the department of sociology and anthropology at Lake Forest College.
He is noted for both his work in the study of happiness and creativity and also for his notoriously diffi...more
More about Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi...
He is noted for both his work in the study of happiness and creativity and also for his notoriously diffi...more
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“If you are interested in something, you will focus on it, and if you focus attention on anything, it is likely that you will become interested in it. Many of the things we find interesting are not so by nature, but because we took the trouble of paying attention to them.”
—
16 people liked it
“If one has failed to develop curiosity and interest in the early years, it is a good idea to acquire them now, before it is too late to improve the quality of life.
To do so is fairly easy in principle, but more difficult in practice. Yet it is sure worth trying. The first step is to develop the habit of doing whatever needs to be done with concentrated attention, with skill rather than inertia. Even the most routine tasks, like washing dishes, dressing, or mowing the lawn become more rewarding if we approach them with the care it would take to make a work of art. The next step is to transfer some psychic energy each day from tasks that we don’t like doing, or from passive leisure, into something we never did before, or something we enjoy doing but don’t do often enough because it seems too much trouble. There are literally millions of potentially interesting things in the world to see, to do, to learn about. But they don’t become actually interesting until we devote attention to them.”
—
10 people liked it
More quotes…
To do so is fairly easy in principle, but more difficult in practice. Yet it is sure worth trying. The first step is to develop the habit of doing whatever needs to be done with concentrated attention, with skill rather than inertia. Even the most routine tasks, like washing dishes, dressing, or mowing the lawn become more rewarding if we approach them with the care it would take to make a work of art. The next step is to transfer some psychic energy each day from tasks that we don’t like doing, or from passive leisure, into something we never did before, or something we enjoy doing but don’t do often enough because it seems too much trouble. There are literally millions of potentially interesting things in the world to see, to do, to learn about. But they don’t become actually interesting until we devote attention to them.”
