Tim Lomas

A concise and engaging exploration of how we understand happiness.What does it mean to feel happiness? As a state of mind, it’s elusive. As a concept―despite the plethora of pop psychology books on the subject―it’s poorly understood. In this volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, psychologist Tim Lomas offers a concise and engaging overview of our current understanding of happiness. Lomas explains that although the field of positive psychology, which focuses on happiness, emerged only in the last twenty-five years, interest in the meaning of happiness goes back several millennia. Drawing on a variety of disciplines, from philosophy and sociology to economics and anthropology, Lomas offers an expansive vision of what happiness means, exploring a significant range of experiential territory. After considering such related concepts as wellbeing and flourishing, Lomas traces ideas of happiness from the ancient Buddhist notions of sukha and nirvana through Aristotle’s distinctio

How embracing untranslatable terms for well-being—from the Finnish sisu to the Yiddish mensch—can enrich our emotional understanding and experience.

How embracing untranslatable terms for well-being -- from the Finnish sisu to the Yiddish mensch -- can enrich our emotional understanding and experience.Western psychology is rooted in the philosop

Have you ever had a feeling that you couldn't quite describe, because no English word exists for it? Indeed, without such a word, it's difficult to remember or understand the feeling, and to talk abou

LGBTQ Voices in Education: Changing the Culture of Schooling addresses the ways in which teachers can meet the needs of LGBTQ students and improve the culture surrounding gender, sexuality, and identi

The healthcare industry is in a state of accelerated transition. The proliferation of data and its assimilation, access, use, and security are ever-increasing challenges. Finding ways to operationaliz

Positive Psychology has evolved rapidly over the past decade, attracting an ever-increasing number of adherents in academia and beyond. In just over 15 years since the emergence of the field, interest

“If you think you know what positive psychology is, think again! This book offers a new integrative vision for making life better that takes in the body and the brain, culture and society, childhood a

“If you think you know what positive psychology is, think again! This book offers a new integrative vision for making life better that takes in the body and the brain, culture and society, childhood a

Positive psychology is currently equated with theory and research on the positive aspects of life. The reality could not be further from the truth. Positive psychology investigates and researches some

Positive psychology is currently equated with theory and research on the positive aspects of life. The reality could not be further from the truth. Positive psychology investigates and researches some

Series: Critical Concepts in Media and Cultural Studies