41 pages • 1 hour read
Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment
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Discussion Questions
General Impressions
Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.
1. What was your overall impression of Seligman’s approach to happiness? Did it feel scientific, practical, philosophical, or something else? How did it compare to other personal development books on the topic, such as Russ Harris’s The Happiness Trap?
2. Were there any concepts or exercises in the book that surprised you or challenged your previous ideas about what leads to lasting fulfillment?
3. How did the tone and structure of the book affect your engagement with its content? Did you find it accessible and actionable, or overly academic at times?
Personal Reflection and Connection
Encourage readers to reflect on how the book relates to their own life or work and how its lessons could help them.
1. Which of the three lives (Pleasant, Good, or Meaningful) do you feel most aligned with currently, and which area do you feel called to strengthen?
2. Reflecting on your upbringing, how did your caregivers encourage your strengths? How has that shaped your sense of self or happiness as an adult?
3. How do your attachment patterns in close relationships align with the styles Seligman describes?
