ABSTRACT
This chapter explores what it means to have emotional and behavioral flexibility, and how this enhances the development of all of author's social-emotional skills, including empathy and compassion. Positive psychology focuses on three central pillars: positive experiences (past, present and future), positive traits (including compassion, resilience, and integrity, among others), and positive institutions and the strengths needed for development (including tolerance, justice, and responsibility). Like many other new ideas, there have been unforeseen consequences from the positive psychology movement. The constant messages on social media about being positive and happy with no counter message about the truth of the struggle humans feel from time to time has had the effect of taking only some parts of the positive psychology movement while dismissing others. This is how the authors cultivate a more caring world through intentional flexibility and emotional intelligence. Interconnectedness is an essential part of perspective-taking and empathy development.
