Positive Energy

Richard John WisemanHunan Literature and Art Publishing House2012

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Chapters
9
ISBN
9787540456825

Tags

Psychology Applied Psychology Emotion ManagementBody PostureSmall StepsWillpowerPositive EmotionsBehavior ChangePopular PsychologyPopular Psychology

Summary

Positive Energy is a popular psychology book by British psychologist Richard Wiseman. Using his signature playful experiments and accessible storytelling, the author builds his argument around the so-called "as if" principle—not changing your thoughts first and then your behavior, but the reverse: changing your posture, facial expressions, manner of speaking, and concrete actions in order to influence your emotions, beliefs, and willpower. The book defines "positive energy" as any drive or feeling that lifts people up, gives them hope, spurs them to keep striving, and makes life fuller and happier, and it sets out to overturn common assumptions such as "character determines destiny" and "emotion determines behavior." The book covers happiness, love and interpersonal attraction, negative emotions and mental health, willpower and self-control, persuading others, and shaping a brand-new self: how to make yourself happy with simple expressions and movements; how to actively cultivate intimacy in relationships; how to ease anxiety and low mood through relaxation and behavioral activation; how to advance change through small steps and "give an inch, take a mile" tactics; and how to strengthen team persuasion through consistent action. The author cites numerous psychological experiments and data as support and includes exercises and steps readers can try themselves. The writing is light and readable—a work of popular psychology and self-help rather than a serious academic monograph.

Editor's review

本书最值得一读的地方，是它把「积极心理学」从口号拉回到可以操作的动作层面。作者怀斯曼以「英国大众心理学传播专家」著称，行文像讲故事：一个实验、一个反常结论、一个可执行的小练习，读起来毫不费力，却常能让人对自己的情绪与行为获得新的解释。相比许多只讲「要乐观、要自信」的励志书，本书的特点是强调「先做，再感受」——难过时先挺直腰、微笑、快走，状态往往随之松动。它适合当作工具书反复翻检，而不是一口气读完的心灵鸡汤。需要提醒的是，书中对实验的通俗化处理难免简化，部分结论在心理学界仍有争议，读者宜把它看作启发视角的读物，而非严谨的临床指导。作为2012年引进的畅销心理励志书，它与《怪诞心理学》同一作者，风格连贯，适合作为心理学入门的轻松读物。

Who it's for

A good fit for

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Reading tips

  1. 不必从头读到尾，可先挑自己最想改善的主题（情绪、关系、意志力）对应阅读
  2. 每读完一章，挑一个书中练习认真做一周，记录身体感受与情绪变化
  3. 对读书中引用的实验结论保持好奇与怀疑，可对照其他心理学著作交叉阅读
  4. 把书放在手边当作「状态不佳时的急救手册」，心情低落时翻查相关章节

About the publisher

Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1985

Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House is a publisher known for its literary titles, with a catalogue spanning foreign literature, world classics, classical Chinese literature, essays and miscellaneous writings, and mystery and detective fiction. Judging from the more than 1,100 books in the database, the press publishes foreign classics such as Crime and Punishment, Snow Country, The Complete Sherlock Holmes and Letter from an Unknown Woman, as well as Chinese classical and modern literary works including Lu Xun's Wandering and A Madman's Diary and Wu Jingzi's The Scholars. In terms of translators and authors, translations by Cao Guowei and Tan Jinghua appear in its foreign literature titles, and the authors involved include Dostoevsky, Kawabata Yasunari, Conan Doyle and Zweig. Its publishing character lies in introducing Chinese and foreign literary classics side by side, balancing popular and serious works and attending to both readability and literary value. Public information is limited; the above is a brief overview based solely on the books in the database.

Contents

  1. Preface: Fake It Till You Make It—Let Action Change Your Mind
  2. Chapter 1: Use Action to Create Happiness
  3. Chapter 2: Use Action to Attract Your True Love
  4. Chapter 3: Use Action to Maintain Mental Health
  5. Chapter 4: Use Action to Strengthen Willpower
  6. Chapter 5: Use Action to Enhance Persuasion
  7. Chapter 6: Use Behavior to Shape a Brand-New Self
  8. Conclusion: Fake It Till You Make It—Become Anyone You Want to Be
  9. Acknowledgments

FAQ

这本书和「心灵鸡汤」有什么区别？ 书中大量引用心理学实验与数据来支撑主张，并提供可以自己动手做的练习步骤，方法论色彩强于纯情绪激励；但作者对实验的通俗化处理较简化，仍带有励志读物的色彩，宜当作启发视角的科普书。
「表现原理」到底是什么意思？ 它主张行为与情绪、信念是双向影响的：不只情绪决定行为，改变行为（姿势、表情、动作）也能反过来改变感受与想法。书中据此给出先微笑、先行动，再等待情绪跟上的方法。
需要按顺序读完吗？ 不必。全书按主题分章，快乐、爱情、心理健康、意志力、说服力、自我塑造可各自独立阅读，建议按自己当下最想改善的部分切入。
这本书适合用来应对抑郁情绪吗？ 书中提到放松、行为激活等方式，可作为日常情绪调节的参考，但它不是临床治疗指南。若情绪低落持续较久或影响生活，应及时寻求心理咨询或精神科医生的专业帮助。

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About the author

Richard John Wiseman Author · British · 1966

Richard Wiseman is a British psychologist born in 1966 and a Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. He was once a professional magician, an experience that sparked his interest in everyday illusions and deception and led him to create the research direction known as "Quirkology." He is known for using large-scale, playful experiments to study luck, humour, deception and paranormal phenomena, turning serious psychological questions into tests and observations that the public enjoys taking part in. His writing is light, humorous and close to daily life. His works span self-help and personal growth, applied psychology and social psychology, and include the bestselling Quirkology: The Curious Science of Everyday Lives, Sleep: The Secret of Good Sleep and a classic collection of his psychology writing. His books have been translated into more than 30 languages and have won him a wide readership in popular psychology.