Psychology should be just as concerned with building strength as with repairing damage

Ten years ago, when I was on an airplane and I introduced myself to my seatmate, and told them [I was a psychologist], they'd move away from me. ... And now when I tell people what I do, they move toward me.

Doing a kindness produces the single most reliable momentary increase in well-being of any exercise we have tested.

If we just wanted positive emotions, our species would have died out a long time ago.

Reaching beyond where you are is really important.

Optimism is a tool with a certain clear set of benefits: it fights depression, it promotes achievement and produces better health.

It's a matter of ABC: When we encounter ADVERSITY, we react by thinking about it. Our thoughts rapidly congeal into BELIEFS. These beliefs may become so habitual we don't even realize we have them unless we stop to focus on them. And they don't just sit there idly; they have CONSEQUENCES.