Positive Psychology in “The Pursuit of Happyness” Film

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Happiness
Strengths
Tenets of Positive Psychology
Well-Being
Conclusion
References

Introduction

The Pursuit of Happyness, a 2006 movie adaptation of Chris Gardner’s autobiography, retells a story of a salesman becoming a stockbroker and reversing his life despite the obstacles in his way. Due to its emphasis on positive experiences, happiness, positive thinking, strengths, and virtues, the movie may serve as a suitable illustration of the principles of positive psychology. Gardner demonstrates perseverance, hope, and social intelligence and illustrates the importance of effectance motivation and the power of social networks, even though the protagonist’s relationship with his wife could be improved.

Happiness

The movie depicts multiple issues related to the central concepts of positive psychology. It posits that finding positive experiences is crucial – even though down on his luck, Gardner presents his son with a basketball he so covets (Muccino, 2006). It also spares no effort in depicting the importance of positive thinking: no matter how desperate his situation is, Gardner still has positive expectations for the future. It aligns with Seligman’s original idea of authentic happiness, stressing that a pleasant life is focused on positive emotions and positive thinking (Compton & Hoffman, 2019). Similarly, happiness and the issues related to it constitute the central theme of the movie, as highlighted by the title. The “y” in it refers to an episode when Gardner is frustrated by the misspelling of the word, yet it provokes him to reflect on the meaning of happiness (Muccino, 2006). Initially, his main issue with happiness is that one can always be in pursuit of it without actually achieving but eventually, he changes his mind. Finally, the movie also focuses heavily on strengths and virtues, the treatment of which deserves a more thorough elaboration.

Strengths

If one has to pick three principal strengths characterizing Gardner, these would be social intelligence, hope, and perseverance. Social intelligence – that is, the ability to understand and predicts the behaviors of those around him – leads Gardner through his turbulent internship at the stock brokerage firm. For example, when noticing the Rubik cube at Jay’s taxi seat, he immediately deduces he could impress him by assembling it (Muccino, 2006). Hope is self-explanatory – despite having little luck, the protagonist always aspires to improve his lot. As for perseverance, it might well be Gardner’s defining trait. The obstacles he has to overcome on his way to being a broker include coming to a job interview in dirty clothes or being arrested and even evicted (Muccino, 2006). Yet Gardner overcomes them despite his meager financial resources through the application of his internal strengths. He is fully aware of his conditions and the dangers they pose to him and his son, but he deliberately focuses on the positive goal ahead.

Tenets of Positive Psychology

Apart from displaying strengths, the movie also illustrates other specific tenets of positive psychology. In order to excel in his internship for the stockbroker position, Gardner develops relations with potential clients. One of these clients takes Gardner and his son to a football match together with his own family – and, apart from working opportunities, it also results in more positive emotions for everyone involved (Muccino, 2006). This episode illustrates the concept of social contagion, showing how emotions can spread across social networks (Compton & Hoffman, 2019). Another positive psychology concept highlighted by the movie is effectance motivation. At one point, Gardner instructs his son to never say he cannot do something and focus on achieving goals while disregarding demotivating comments. What Gardner discusses is effectance motivation that drives people toward the feeling of competence (Compton & Hoffman, 2019). Since positive psychology focuses on achieving well-being beyond simple psychological needs, effectance motivation is an important part of its theoretical arsenal.

Well-Being

Gardner fares better than many would in his situation in terms of well-being. Admittedly, his emotional well-being is shaky – he does not feel happy all that often and reflects whether the phrase “pursuit of happiness” means it cannot be achieved (Muccino, 2006). However, his psychological well-being – the sense of competence and purpose – is an example to anyone who might find themselves in a similar situation (Compton & Hoffman, 2019). His social well-being is also better than might be expected – he maintains his impressive socialization skills and perceives the people and society positively (Compton & Hoffman, 2019). After all, if Gardner had a negative attitude toward society would not have trusted his bone scanner to a stranger on the street while going to a job interview (Muccino, 2006). One thing that could be done differently to improve his well-being, though, is Gardner handling his marriage. While he loves his son, he consistently fails to arrive at mutually acceptable arrangements with his wife, and fulfillment in relationships is an essential component of social well-being (Compton & Hoffman, 2019). While socially competent in many other areas, Gardner struggles to communicate with his wife.

Conclusion

To summarize, The Pursuit of Happyness illustrates some crucial tenets of positive psychology. Preoccupied with the themes of happiness, positive experiences, and positive thinking, the film features the protagonist possessing the strengths of perseverance, hope, and social intelligence. At various points, the film hints at the importance of social contagion and effectance motivation. The character’s development of his strengths despite the obstacles he faces results in a surprisingly high level of well-being for a person in dire financial circumstances, but his relationship with his wife remains a considerable problem.

References

Compton, W. C., & Hoffman, E. L. (2019).Positive psychology: The science of happiness and flourishing. SAGE Publications.

Muccino, G. (Director). (2006). The Pursuit of Happyness [Film]. Columbia Pictures.

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