http://aspectwebsite.com/if-you-want-a-better-life/ A Publication from the School of Arts & Sciences at Salem State College Thu, 27 May 2010 13:36:22 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://aspectwebsite.com/if-you-want-a-better-life/comment-page-1/#comment-672 Jim Gubbins Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:04:02 +0000 http://aspectwebsite.com/?p=919#comment-672 Thanks, Marcia. It's nice to have an actual development psychologist weigh in to add some insight (and not tear me to pieces). Now that you mention it, I suspect I was imagining a middle-aged person as my audience. As I see my students making life-changing decisions, such going ahead with an unwanted pregnancy, joining the military, or dropping out of school, I wonder about how many opportunities they may be passing up and how many undesireable situations they may be placing themselves in. Unfortunately, wisdom does not necessarily come with age and it comes only rarely with youth. About Diener, I've been a big fan for years and I'm glad you put your stamp of approval on him. Thanks, Marcia. It’s nice to have an actual development psychologist weigh in to add some insight (and not tear me to pieces). Now that you mention it, I suspect I was imagining a middle-aged person as my audience. As I see my students making life-changing decisions, such going ahead with an unwanted pregnancy, joining the military, or dropping out of school, I wonder about how many opportunities they may be passing up and how many undesireable situations they may be placing themselves in. Unfortunately, wisdom does not necessarily come with age and it comes only rarely with youth. About Diener, I’ve been a big fan for years and I’m glad you put your stamp of approval on him.

]]> http://aspectwebsite.com/if-you-want-a-better-life/comment-page-1/#comment-670 Marcia Weinstein, Ph.D. Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:25:49 +0000 http://aspectwebsite.com/?p=919#comment-670 Some respected psychologists suggest that there may be critical, or at least sensitive, times during the lifespan when we are more likely to make important decisions that provide structure to our lives in the future. Choosing badly at such times can have more dire outcomes than at others, so I do urge our SSC "emerging adults" (traditional age students) to take the time to work through such issues. By the way, Diener & Biswas-Diener's book, "Happiness..." is excellent; it is on the required text list for my new syllabus PSY544 Affective Forecasting & Happiness. Some respected psychologists suggest that there may be critical, or at least sensitive, times during the lifespan when we are more likely to make important decisions that provide structure to our lives in the future. Choosing badly at such times can have more dire outcomes than at others, so I do urge our SSC “emerging adults” (traditional age students) to take the time to work through such issues. By the way, Diener & Biswas-Diener’s book, “Happiness…” is excellent; it is on the required text list for my new syllabus PSY544 Affective Forecasting & Happiness.

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