the state shows up most reliably when we’re using our skills to the utmost. It requires challenge. While other hedonic pleasures—drugs, sex, gambling—make us feel good on their own, flow only shows up when we’re pushing ourselves to higher and higher levels of performance. “Because flow involves meeting challenges and developing skills,” explains Csikszentmihalyi in Good Business, “it leads to growth. It is an escape forward from current reality, whereas stimulants like drugs lead backward.”
