About this item
In The Upside of Your Dark Side, two pioneering researchers in the field of psychology show that while mindfulness, kindness, and positivity can take us far, they cannot take us all the way. Sometimes, they can even hold us back. Emotions such as anger, anxiety, guilt, and sadness might feel uncomfortable, but it turns out that they are also incredibly useful. For instance: • Anger fuels creativity • Guilt sparks improvement • Self-doubt enhances performance In the same vein, we can become wiser and more effective when we harness the darker parts of our personality in certain situations. For instance: • Selfishness increases courage • Mindlessness leads to better decisionsThe key lies in what the authors call “emotional, social, and mental agility,” the ability to access our full range of emotions and behavior—not just the “good” ones—in order to respond most effectively to whatever situation we might encounter.
About the Author
Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener is widely known as the Indiana Jones of Positive Psychology because his research on happiness has taken him to such far flung places as Greenland, India and Kenya. He is the managing director of Positive Acorn. He sits on the editorial boards of the Journal of Happiness Studies and Journal of Positive Psychology a part-time instructor at Portland State University and. Robert is a Certified Mentor Coach (CMC) and has worked with clients on four continents. Robert is author of The Courage Quotient (2012) , Practicing Positive Psychology Coaching (2010) , Happiness: Unlocking the mysteries of psychological wealth (2008) . He is also co-founder of the charitable mission The Strengths Project.
