Aristotle and Flow: Learning from the Sages

Imagine spending your time at an activity that so perfectly fits your skill set, that you feel both challenged and in control the entire time. The action is so engaging that all of your awareness shifts to the task at hand and you are completely absorbed in the activity. Self-consciousness drops away and your mind is completely clear of everything but the object of your focus. You feel confident of your skill and every action brings the feedback that you are doing well. Time falls away and no longer seems relevant. You are filled with exhilaration and confidence.

This is “flow”, the state that Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls the “optimal experience”. Perhaps you can remember a moment where you felt like this, perhaps you are one of the lucky people who has discovered an activity which allows you to feel like this often. Even better, you may be one of the rare people who can naturally turn any activity into a chance for flow. For most, these moments are rare but they leave us with a deep sense of enjoyment and a “memory for what life should be like.” Csikszentmihalyi points out that:
“Contrary to what we usually believe, moments like these, the best moments in our lives, are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times - although such experiences can also be enjoyable, if we have worked hard to attain them. 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 best moments in life are the ones that we create through our own effort. When we strive for something worthwhile and make use of skills, we create the perfect environment for enjoyment. We transcend the worries of everyday life and push all our energy and consciousness into one unifying activity.

It’s been two decades since Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience was published and it still rings true. This groundbreaking work from the infancy of positive psychology continues to provide valuable insight even as the body of research on happiness continues to grow.

One thing that struck me as I read this book was how it felt almost shockingly accurate in describing my happiest moments. At the same time, the theory itself is not one that slips intuitively into the mind like “happiness is pleasure” or “happiness is an emotion”. I wasn’t sure how to react, except to accept that it captures something essential about happiness. It may not catch everything, but it gives the reader a clear idea of what kind of moments they might want to look for.

Interestingly, this classic work based on psychological data has a theoretical ancestor. Aristotle (or as the medieval scholars and my first instructor of ancient philosophy called him “The Philosopher”) had a surprisingly similar description of happiness. For Aristotle, happiness is an activity of the soul in accordance with rationality and virtue. It is an activity or energizing in a way that is particular to the individual, his gifts, and his circumstances. Aristotle specifies that happiness does not consist of abundant physical pleasures, political power and honor, or even wealth. Happiness, like flow, is an activity. 

Csikszentmihalyi warns that a joyful life cannot be copied from a book like a recipe, but rather, it is an individual creation which must be crafted from each person’s life, based on their values, their skills, and their situation. Aristotle points out that the activity of happiness is one that is particular to the individual, his skills and his circumstances. Neither offers step by step directions to happiness. What they both offer is a direct guide to the general principles of happiness.

So what wisdom can we glean for these sages, ancient and contemporary? For me, the lesson was simple... look for opportunities for flow. I started to scrutinize my life. How was I spending my time? How much of it was in flow? What were the activities where flow occurred? I started to watch for it. As a philosopher, I looked first at my philosophical activities. How often did I feel completely immersed and competent at my task. I realized that some of my peak moments of flow have been during paper-writing sessions, as I poured all my creative energy into making a particular case. Philosophy definitely had some merits. I found that when I was “in the zone” it was one of the most satisfying feelings around. Still, I found that the occurrence of getting into flow through philosophy was rare. In most cases, I was unable to reach that level of focus and concentration. So, I started to look at my other activities for an easier shot at flow.

Exercise was a simple answer. Get on a bike and go ride for an hour. As you put your body through the simple steps of this physical labor, your mind is free to wander. It is easy to slip into a flow state. You can easily succeed at the repetitive task, but the challenge to your body will create the conditions for flow. When I am at my best, I ride my bike everyday and my mood improves by leaps and bounds. Exercise that you enjoy is an easy way to flow.

I also found other ways to lean towards flow activities. I found that I easily slipped into high quality flow states when mediating political or interpersonal conflicts. I have always been a problem solver and a communicator, and when I have the opportunity to make use of those skills the flow state is instant and intense. I started to get more involved in the politics of my graduate department. I took time to council my friends and help mediate disagreements within my community.
Artistic endeavors can also put me in a flow state when I allow myself to completely focus on them for stretches of time. I began to reconsider my time and my work. I spent more time making things. I started to dabble in selling my creations. Now, I spend part of my time working on jewelry and selling it at festivals. Instead of simply kicking back at night and watching TV with my friends, I also pull out my supplies and sit for hours trancing as I create. It is the perfect balance of my skills and dispositions. It is my most direct way into flow.

To find your own way into flow, don’t do what I do. Figure out what you do. What takes up your focus but also leaves you feeling satisfied and competent? That is the magic task that will take you into flow. You have likely been there many times, the key is learning to get back there often. It is not an easy thing to habituate yourself to, but when it comes to gaining happiness, creating productive habits is key. You just might find yourself looking for flow everywhere. I know I do and it has definitely changed my life for the better.


More links if you like thinking about this:

http://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow.html

http://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/happiness-quotes/