Ben Weinstein
Assumption University
Since the turn of the century, psychology has turned its attention to studying happiness. There have now been hundreds of peer-reviewed, empirical studies in the relatively new field of “Positive Psychology.”
This talk offers a view of the question about happiness and learning from the perspective of scientific psychology based on recent research in positive psychology, learning, neuroscience and contemplative practice by focusing on two keys findings: (1) the research indicating that happiness can be learned based on sets of skills that can be taught to instructors, integrated into curricula and learned by students and, (2) the current limitations on teaching happiness and the challenges of applying these skills across cultures.
(Presented in the 2015 Chulalongkorn Asian Heritage Forum: Understanding Happiness, 16-17 July 2015, Le Meridien Bangkok Hotel, Bangkok, organized by Institute of Thai Studies and Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University)