what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls “flow.”5 For Csikszentmihalyi, flow is the state of complete and utter absorption. It’s the same sense that’s colloquially described it as being “in the zone.” Time disappears, attention focuses, and people feel euphorically engaged. This is the ideal state for creativity and artistry; athletes, musicians, and actors try to harness this mindset before they perform. It is critical to leadership, writing, software development, and education. Yet people also experience this state when they gamble and play video games, two activities that society
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