Positive psychology

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    Hundreds of students at the Harvard University are now going mad over a new course being taught by an Israeli faculty known as Positive Psychology. Amid criticisms that it is a lowly course as compared to Harvard’s heavy and serious academic culture, Tal Ben-Shahars asserts that the course seems to be very easy because the students love what they learn and they are happy on what they discover throughout the course.

    Ben-Shahar argues that if the course seems easy, it is because it holds such great relevance to students’ own lives. ‘’Most things we find interesting, we also find easy,” he said in interviews.

    It was reported that the course is grounded in serious psychological research. Now about  855 students are enrolled in Ben-Shahars’ class.

    Ben-Shahar is basically teaching the students discover a fulfilling and flourishing life. A self-help class that aims to make everyone happy in a world that is very competitive, stressful and materialistic.

    No matter what other academicians say, students are trooping at Ben-Shahars class just to learn how to be happy in life. Come to think of it, it is indeed ironic that most of the people will find time to attend a full academic course just to learn how to have a positive outlook in life.

    Although I believe that this phenomenon is more evident in countries such as USA, Europe, Japan, Singapore and other highly developed places. It could be because that they are more concerned on economic development rather than personal and spiritual development.

    Other nations often envy Filipinos for we are happy people. We make fun of everything kin our lives. Even our problems in the bureaucracy always end up as jokes either passed on through talks or texts. Take for example the case of former president Joseph Estrada. He became the center of jokes during his impeachment trial. Silly and funny text messages went around the country. The Garci tapes are another thing. Now we have the Katrina Halili brouhaha.

    If there is one thing I appreciate the most about us is that quality. We are happy people and so we are emotionally and spiritually stronger than other nations. We can carry the load of 12 men and would not complain but instead, we tell a joke about it. One time, a friend said he did not get a job after a series of interviews with companies. Then his brother said, “so why are you still in good spirits? Are you not disappointed?” And the friend answered, “bakit naman koya, dati naku man alang obra, sanayan mu yan! (why brother? I used to be jobless, you just have to be accustomed with it)”

    And as far as Secretary Ed Pamintuan is concerned, I believe he is doing something good right now going around the USA, talking to our fellow Filipinos and spreading good news to them to make them happy. Pamintuan is the Presidential Adviser on External Affairs and the chairman of the Subic Clark Alliance Development Council (SCADC). He was in United States last time to lead the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding among the SCADC, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC), and the Southern California Logistics Airport Authority (SCLA) to establish a coalition that will promote the growth and development of SCLA, Diosdado Macapagal International Airport ( DMIA) , and the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA).

    He started the Good News Caravan Tours and visited key cities of the US where large concentrations of Fil-Ams are located. It was aimed at giving our countrymen the good news of massive infrastructure developments and programs that are happening in the home country. Rather than contradict the bad news being dished out by newspapers and news programs from the Philippines, the Good News Caravan presented the accomplishments of the present administration by backed up with power point presentations, pictures, videos, information and data about the positive things that are happening in the country, not only in terms of infrastructure but also in terms of uplifting the living and economic condition of every Filipino.

    So there you have it, Filipinos have a way how to beat the odds. No need for Harvard. What a relief.

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