ABSTRACT

Positive emotions, by definition, feel good. People enjoy feeling the pleasant emotional states of joy, inspiration, gratitude, serenity, and the like. So much so that they often seek out opportunities to feel good in these ways. Yet is feeling good the only reward? Scientific evidence suggests not. In this chapter, to support this claim, we present research stemming both from the Broaden-and-Build Theory of positive emotions and from the newer Positivity Resonance Theory. Evidence now confirms that positive emotions do far more than simply feel good. Indeed, they have wide-reaching implications for psychological, social, and physical well-being in ways that fuel human flourishing.