Positive psychology is defined in different ways. The Institute of Positive Psychology describes it as the study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to flourish. The positive psychology movement was started by Martin Seligman, also known as the father of positive psychology. Psychology has primarily focused on treating mental illnesses, but psychology hasn't really been used to help improve the lives of people who are not affected by mental illness and that's what drove Seligman and a group of others working on positive psychology. The main goal of the positive psychology movement was to focus psychology not only on weakness, but also on strength and how to make normal life more fulfilling. There are three different types of happiness that one can experience. The pleasant life, with as many positive emotions as possible, the life of commitment, in which time stops for you when you do what you love and the meaningful life, using your strengths for greater cause. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay The first type of happiness, the good life, involves pursuing happiness with the senses and experiencing as much pleasure as possible, like having a good meal, going on vacation or buying a new car. It's basically about trying to have as many positive experiences as possible. However, this pleasant life has some setbacks. The first is that positive emotion is 50% hereditary and not very modifiable. Everyone comes from different backgrounds, which gives them different ideas of happiness and different ways of experiencing happiness, with some able to experience more than others. Another downside is that positive emotions tend to get habituated quite quickly. For example, maybe someone just got a crazy new high-definition 3D TV, they're really happy with it at first, but after a while they stop feeling so impressed and just dismiss it as junk. what other TV. The second type of happiness is the engagement life, also known as the good life. This life is about finding your flow. Flow is a feeling a person feels when they are absorbed in their own self-worth. For example, if swimming is a person's passion, while they are doing laps of the pool, they may feel like time has stopped for them and they are completely focused on what they are doing. she does and on nothing else. The last type of happiness is a meaningful life. A meaningful life is about knowing your strengths and using them to contribute to something greater than yourself. It's as if your life has a purpose, as if you are working towards fulfilling your destiny. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Martin Seligman started the positive psychology movement because he believed psychology focused on treating mental illness and its negative sides when in reality it is just as important to help people with or without mental illness to find happiness. Positive psychology focuses on people's strengths rather than their weaknesses.