Abstract
This chapter is structured in four components which build on each other. Presented as four steps, a logic of personal development is provided for the four dimensions of our being (soul, heart, mind, body). Step 1 looks at the connection of purpose, passion, and power; Step 2 goes into the link between compassion, connection, and change; Step 3 illustrates the interplay of honesty, focus, and humility; and Step 4 brings the previous three together showing how the internal harmonization of aspirations, emotions, thoughts, and behavior leads to authenticity. It points out how influence on oneself can result in an inspiring appearance, and hereby to impactful action.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Works Cited
Adams, J. R. (2016). 21 greatest failures who refused to give up. Adams, Huffington Post. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/21-famous-failures-who-refused-to-give-up_b_57da2245e4b04fa361d991ba.
Aknin, L. B., Barrington-Leigh, C. P., Dunn, E. W., Helliwell, J. F., Burns, J., Biswas-Diener, R., & Norton, M. I. (2013). Prosocial spending and well-being: Cross-cultural evidence for a psychological universal. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104(4), 635.
Baumeister, R. F., Vohs, K. D., Aaker, J. L., & Garbinsky, E. N. (2013). Some key differences between a happy life and a meaningful life. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 8(6), 505–516.
Darwin, C. (1872). The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex (Vol. 2). New York: D. Appleton.
Diener, E., & Seligman, M. E. (2004). Beyond money: Toward an economy of well-being. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 5(1), 1–31.
Dixon, A. (2008, December 1). Sick with happiness. Retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/sick_with_happiness.
Dunn, E. W., & Norton, M. I. (2013, June 18). How to make giving feel good. Retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_make_giving_feel_good.
Dunn, E. W., Aknin, L. B., & Norton, M. I. (2008). Spending money on others promotes happiness. Science, 319(5870), 1687–1688.
Flew, A. (1979). A dictionary of philosophy. London, UK: Pan Books.
Frankl, V. E. (1985). Man’s search for meaning. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Fuhrmann, D. (2012, August 1). Being kind makes kids happy. Retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/being_kind_makes_kids_happy.
Global Council for Happiness and Wellbeing. (2019). Global health and wellbeing. Policy Report. Retrieved from https://s3.amazonaws.com/ghwbpr-2019/UAE/GHWPR19.pdf.
Greater Good Center. (2018). The science of awe. Whitepaper. Retrieved from https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/images/uploads/GGSC-JTF_White_Paper-Awe_FINAL.pdf.
Haidt, J. (2005, March 1). Wired to be inspired. Retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/wired_to_be_inspired.
Hatfield, E. (1988). Passionate and companionate love. In R. J. Sternberg & M. L. Barnes (Eds.), The psychology of love (pp. 191–217). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Haybron, D. (2011). Happiness. In The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/happiness/#HedVerEmoSta.
Ibarra, H. (2015). The authenticity paradox. Harvard Business Review, 93, 52–59.
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Kashdan, T. B., Biswas-Diener, R., & King, L. A. (2008). Reconsidering happiness: The costs of distinguishing between hedonics and eudaimonia. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 3(4), 219–233.
Kaufman, S. B. (2016, January 30). The differences between happiness and meaning in life. Retrieved from https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/the-differences-between-happiness-and-meaning-in-life/.
Keltner, D. (2012, July 31). The compassionate species. Retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_compassionate_species#kindmates.
Keltner, D. (2016, May 11). Why do we feel awe? Retrieved from https://www.mindful.org/why-do-we-feel-awe/.
Knudsen, J. D. (2006, March 1). Little Helpers. Retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/little_helpers.
Konrath, S., Fuhrel-Forbis, A., Lou, A., & Brown, S. (2012). Motives for volunteering are associated with mortality risk in older adults. Health Psychology, 31(1), 87.
Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). The how of happiness: A scientific approach to getting the life you want. New York: Penguin.
Marsh, J., & Suttie, J. (2010, December 13). 5 Ways giving is good for you. Retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/5_ways_giving_is_good_for_you#contagious.
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370.
Moll, J., Krueger, F., Zahn, R., Pardini, M., de Oliveira-Souza, R., & Grafman, J. (2006). Human fronto–Mesolimbic networks guide decisions about charitable donation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 103(42), 15623–15628.
Nietzsche, F. (1979). Human, all-too-human: A book for free spirits (R. J. Hollingdale Trans. (1986)) (Vol. I, pp. 1878; Vol. II, pp. 1879–1880). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Nowak, M., & Highfield, R. (2012). Supercooperators: Altruism, evolution, and why we need each other to succeed. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Perry, P. (2018, February 6). Searching for meaning in your life? This Japanese concept can help you find it. Retrieved from https://bigthink.com/philip-perry/searching-for-meaning-in-your-life-this-japanese-concept-can-help-you-find-it.
Rudd, M., Vohs, K. D., & Aaker, J. (2012). Awe expands people’s perception of time, alters decision making, and enhances well-being. Psychological Science, 23(10), 1130–1136.
Russell, J. A., & Barrett, L. F. (1999). Core affect, prototypical emotional episodes, and other things called emotion: Dissecting the elephant. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76(5), 805.
Santi, J. (2017). The secret to happiness is helping others. (Aug 2017) Retrieved from https://time.com/collection-post/4070299/secret-to-happiness/
Schaub, H. (1997). Sunk Costs, Rationalität und ökonomische Theorie: Eine Querschnittsanalyse zum Einfluss von Irreversibilität auf Entscheidungen und Institutionen unter Berücksichtigung psychologischer Effekte. Stuttgart: Schäffer-Poeschel.
Seppala, E. (2013). The compassionate mind: Science shows why it’s health and how it spreads. APS Observer, 26, 5.
Simon-Thomas, E. R. (2012). The cooperative instinct. Retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_cooperative_instinct (Sep 2012).
Simpson, E. H., & Balsam, P. D. (2016). The behavioral neuroscience of motivation: An overview of concepts, measures, and translational applications. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences, 27, 1–12.
Vaillant, G. E. (2002). Aging well: Surprising guideposts to a happier life from the landmark Harvard study of adult development. New York, NY: Little, Brown.
Van Der Linden, S. (2011). The helper’s high: Why it feels so good to give. Ode Magazine, 8(6), 26–27.
Vianello, M., Galliani, E. M., & Haidt, J. (2010). Elevation at work: The effects of leaders’ moral excellence. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 5(5), 390–411.
Waldinger, R. (2017). Harvard study of adult development. Retrieved from https://www.adultdevelopmentstudy.org/.
Wong, P. T. (2017). A decade of meaning: Past, present, and future. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 30(1), 82–89.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Walther, C.C. (2020). Individuals: A Reference Point for Collective Transformation. In: Development, Humanitarian Aid, and Social Welfare. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42610-1_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42610-1_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Pivot, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-42609-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-42610-1
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)