Mihály Csíkszentmihályi
The father of “flow” on the secret of perfect happiness
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is considered a pioneer of happiness research
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The Hungarian psychologist Mihály Csikszentmihalyi became world famous with his research into “flow”, complete happiness in everyday human life. Today he would have been 89 years old. Google dedicated a doodle to him.
How do you achieve real and complete happiness in everyday life? For the Hungarian psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, the peak of euphoric mood is not reached when relaxing in the sauna or on vacation, but when we dedicate ourselves intensively to work or a difficult task. “Flow” is how he describes the feeling of happiness that people experience when they are completely absorbed in an activity.
Mihály Csíkszentmihályi: Inspiration for presidents and Super Bowl winners
Csíkszentmihályi gained worldwide fame with his research and was considered a leading expert in the field of happiness research until his death two years ago. The psychology professor dedicated his entire life to the question of what makes a happy life. His 1990 book “Flow – The Secret of Happiness” has been translated into more than 20 languages.
In the years following the first apparition, many prominent personalities stated that they followed the teachings of Mihály Csíkszentmihályi. Both the then US President Bill Clinton and the British Prime Minister Tony Blair repeatedly referred to the “flow” in their office. Jimmy Johnson, coach of the American football team Dallas Cowboys, said after winning the Super Bowl in 1993 that Csíkszentmihályi’s book was the reason for his team’s sporting success.
Flow: Complete immersion in work
Csíkszentmihályi first developed his interest in the study of happiness during his own student days at the University of Chicago. He later taught psychology here himself. He encountered the “flow” with a group of artists on campus who were completely immersed in working on their works. In an interview he once described how fascinated he was by the fact that they could forget everything around them. What surprised him even more was what happened when they finished their work: They finished working on a piece of art, but instead of enjoying it, they hung it on the wall and painted a new picture. They showed little interest in the finished product. So it wasn’t the work of art that motivated her, but rather the complete immersion in the creation process.
In his later scientific papers, Csíkszentmihályi recognized flow not only in artists, but also in mountaineers, basketball players, dancers, composers and chess grandmasters. Mihály Csíkszentmihályi died on October 20, 2021 in Claremont, California. He was 87 years old.
Can everyone get into flow state? And how does that feel? Read all the important questions about the condition here.