Ideas worth spreading

TED2004

February 2004

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Flow, the secret to happiness

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi asks, "What makes a life worth living?" Noting that money cannot make us happy, he looks to those who find pleasure and lasting satisfaction in activities that bring about a state of "flow."

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This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi asks, "What makes a life worth living?" Noting that money cannot make us happy, he looks to those who find pleasure and lasting satisfaction in activities that bring about a state of "flow."

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

About the speaker

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Positive psychologist

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Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi contributed pioneering work to our understanding of happiness, creativity, human fulfillment and the notion of "flow" -- a state of heightened focus and immersion in activities such as art, play and work.

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