Flourishing

Catalog description

People are like plants: if you get the conditions right, they will usually flourish. So what are those conditions, and why are so many members of Gen Z (born 1997 to 2012) failing to flourish? We will look at research in social and positive psychology on happiness, virtue, self-change, and personal growth. We will also look at ancient wisdom––insights into mind and heart passed down to us from many cultures because they work. The goal of this course is to help students understand the conditions that lead to flourishing, and then to develop specific habits that will help them to thrive at NYU, at work, and in their personal relationships. Each student will choose a specific “happiness habit” and will design a plan to cultivate the habit over the 14 weeks of the course. The final paper will include a self-evaluation of progress in becoming stronger, smarter, more sociable, and happier.