Home > Author > Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
61 " But it is impossible to enjoy a tennis game, a book, or a conversation unless attention is fully concentrated on the activity. "
― Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
62 " The essence of socialization is to make people dependent on social controls, to have them respond predictably to rewards and punishments. "
63 " It’s exhilarating to come closer and closer to self-discipline. "
― Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi , Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
64 " A person who has achieved control over psychic energy and has invested it in consciously chosen goals cannot help but grow into a more complex being. By stretching skills, by reaching toward higher challenges, such a person becomes an increasingly extraordinary individual. "
65 " The rules themselves are clear enough, and within everyone’s reach. But many forces, both within ourselves and in the environment, stand in the way. It is a little like trying to lose weight: everyone knows what it takes, everyone wants to do it, yet it is next to impossible for so many. "
66 " A person can make himself happy, or miserable, regardless of what is actually happening “outside,” just by changing the contents of consciousness. We all know individuals who can transform hopeless situations into challenges to be overcome, just through the force of their personalities. This ability to persevere despite obstacles and setbacks is the quality people most admire in others, and justly so; it is probably the most important trait not only for succeeding in life, but for enjoying it as well. "
67 " I mean, we’re only here for a short while. And I think it’s such a lucky accident, having been born, that we’re almost obliged to pay attention. In some ways, this is getting far afield. I mean, we are—as far as we know—the only part of the universe that’s self-conscious. We could even be the universe’s form of consciousness. "
― Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi , Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention
68 " But anyone who has experienced flow knows that the deep enjoyment it provieds requires an equal degree of disciplined concentration. "
69 " How we feel about ourselves, the joy we get from living, ultimately depend directly on how to the mind filters and interprets everyday experiences. Whether we are happy depends on inner harmony, not on the controls we are able to exert over the great forces of the universe. Certainly we should keepo on learning how to master the external environment, because our physical survival may depend on it. But such mastery is not going to add one jot to how good we as individuals feel, or reduce the chaos of the world as we experience it. To do that we must learn to achive mastery over conciousness itself. "
70 " Painters must want to paint above all else. If the artist in front of the canvas begins to wonder how much he will sell it for, or what the critics will think of it, he won't be able to pursue original avenues. Creative achievements depend on single-minded immersion. "
71 " Since the purpose of business is to satisfy existing desires, or stimulate new ones, if everyone were genuinely happy, there would be no need for business any longer. "
72 " But shortcuts are dangerous; we cannot delude ourselves that our knowledge is further along than it actually is. "
― Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi , Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life
73 " The foremost reason that happiness is so hard to achieve is that the universe was not designed with the comfort of human beings in mind. "
74 " it was found that the more often people report reading books, the more flow experiences they claim to have, while the opposite trend was found for watching television. "
75 " Consuming culture is never as rewarding as producing it. "
76 " Buddhists advise us to "act always as if the future of the universe depended on what you did, while laughing at yourself for thinking that whatever you do makes any difference." This serious playfulness makes it possible to be both engaged and carefree at the same time. "
― Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi , Good Business: Leadership, Flow, and the Making of Meaning
77 " We cannot deny the facts of nature, but we should certainly try to improve on them. "
78 " But religions are only temporarily successful attempts to cope with the lack of meaning in life; they are not permanent answers. "
79 " When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully, "
80 " Although watching TV is far from being a positive experience—generally people report feeling passive, weak, rather irritable, and sad when doing it—at least the flickering screen brings a certain amount of order to consciousness. The predictable plots, familiar characters, and even the redundant commercials provide a reassuring pattern of stimulation. The screen invites attention to itself as a manageable, restricted aspect of the environment. While interacting with television, the mind is protected from personal worries. The information passing across the screen keeps unpleasant concerns out of the mind. "