Positive Psychology at Harvard, the most popular lectures ever

As
mentioned before on this page, Tal Ben-Shahar is the most popular lecturer at
Harvard. His Positive Psychology course has attracted about 1,400 students,
roughly one in four. I had the chance to listen to his lectures and if at first
I was struck by their simplicity, later on I gathered that their accessibility is
intentional and to the point. Some of the catch phrases used by Tal Ben- Shahar
have stayed with me:

·       
“Be
a merit finder, not a fault finder

·       
Words
create worlds

·       
Learn
to fail or fail to learn

The acclaimed
professor and writer uses jokes, movie clips- one from Pay It Forward, comedy excerpts
from Seinfeld or Ellen de Generes. There are personal stories and anecdotes
(one about Michelangelo, for instance) which make the lectures exiting,
entertaining and meaningful. There are some points where Ben-Shahar differs
with Sonja Lyubomirsky or Ed Diener, but we can’t all see everything in exactly
the same light.

One story I
remember more or less is from the Jewish ancient wisdom:

“A man goes
to the rabbi to ask for advice- he is overwhelmed with the children, the farm
and all the things that he has to do:

-        
What
can I do rabbi, I can’t face it any more

-        
Do
you have chicken?

-        
Yes,
but what does this have to do with…

-        
Put
them in the house…

-        
But
rabbi!! What good will that do?! It will be…

-        
You
want my advice? There it is, use it and come in a week

After a week, the rabbi asks”

-        
Well?
How is it?

-        
Very
bad! It is not working!!

-        
Do
you have pigs?

-        
Yes,
but…

-        
Put
them in the house

-        
This
is terrible rabbi

-        
Listen
to me and come in a week

In a week, we have the same conversation, only this time the rabbi says:

-        
Do
you have a horse? Put it in the house

-        
Rabbi,
I can’t stand it!!! It is a mess already!!

-        
Come
back in a week

After a week, relief at last:

-Well?

- It’s awful rabbi, I feel like shit

-Take all the animals out and come back

 

A week has passed and the farmer is back. The rabbi asks him:

-        
How
is it now?

-        
Heaven
rabbi

The point
is that we should be happy with our life and feel gratitude for what we have: “Be
a merit finder, not a fault finder”