382 Quotes by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

The second reason creativity is so fascinating is that when we are involved in it, we feel that we are living more fully than during the rest of life.

The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.

The roots of the discontent are internal, and each person must untangle them personally, with his or her own power. The shields that have worked in the past – the order that religion, patriotism, ethnic traditions, and habits instilled by social classes used to provide – are no longer effective for increasing numbers of people who feel exposed to the harsh winds of chaos.

Even when children are taught music, the usual problem often arises: too much emphasis is placed on how they perform, and too little on what they experience. Parents.

Power returns to the person when rewards are no longer relegated to outside forces.

When people are asked to choose from a list the best description of how they feel when doing whatever they enjoy doing most – reading, climbing mountains, playing chess, whatever – the answer most frequently chosen is “designing or discovering something new.

When the lifestyle of a social group becomes obsolete, when work turns into a boring routine and community responsibilities lose their meaning, it is likely that leisure will become increasingly more important. And if a society becomes too dependent on entertainment, it is likely that there will be less psychic energy left to cope creatively with the technological and economic challenges that will inevitably arise.

The universe is not hostile, nor yet is it friendly,” in the words of J. H. Holmes. “It is simply indifferent.

Among the many intellectual pursuits available, reading is currently perhaps the most often mentioned flow activity around the world. Solving.