Happiness and the development

of a dialogical Self

Benefits of happiness

- more friends

- stronger social support and richer social interactions.

- increased productivity, more activity and creativity

- higher quality of work

- higher income

- more cooperative, prosocial, and charitable

- greater self-control

- bolstered immune system

- live a longer life

Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D, (2005). Pursuing happiness: The architecture of

sustainable change. Review of General Psychology, 9, 111–131.

Sources of happiness

- Genetics: 50%

- Circumstances: 10%

- Intentional activity: 40%

Intentional activities: possible route to more enduring increases in

happiness beyond basic determinants.

Changing one’s volitional efforts: happiness-boosting potential that

is almost as large as the probable role of genetics, and much larger

than the influence of one’s circumstances.

Alice: Telling different things from different

positions (open vs. closed)

Question about her past:

Is there something important or influential in your past

that still exerts an influence today?

Valuation from her open position:

“My mother, open and cheerful,

has always been like a friend to me”

Valuation from her closed position:

“When I was 12 years old, my father left the house;

I know so little about that period; I think there is much

pain and sorrow during that time”

Alice: Telling different things about the same

person

Question about her present:

Is there something important or

influential in your present life?

Valuation from her open position:

“In the contact with my boyfriend: I’m

always listening to him; I’m always there

for him”

Valuation from her closed position:

“My partner and I have both had a broken relationship in the

past; I do not want to lose myself again in another relationship”

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1 2 3 4

open

closed

Figure 1, Average dominance ratings for thinking about personal

valuations for open and closed positions over four weeks

Hermans, H.J.M., & Kempen, H.J.G. (1993). The dialogical self: Meaning as movement. San Diego:

Academic Press

How DOMINANT were

these valuations in your

thinking during the past

week?

Reversal of dominance

is expressed by the

crossing lines

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1 2 3 4

open

closed

Figure 2. Average meaningfulness ratings for thinking about personal

valuations for open and closed positions over four weeks

Hermans, H.J.M., & Kempen, H.J.G. (1993). The dialogical self: Meaning as movement. San

Diego: Academic Press

How MEANINGFUL were

these valuations in your thinking

during the past week?

Meaningfulness

reversal is expressed

by the crossing lines

Hubert

Hermans

Spronck

optimistic

pessimistic

city

independent business

practical

optimistic

rural/ farmers

misfortune

sensitive

pessimistic

Word I in Sranon Tongo

Different modalities of the word 'I‘ in the Sranon Tongo,

the language of Afro-Surinam people

Mi I

Mi kra My soul, I

A misi (f'mi) My feminine part

A masra (f'mi) My masculine part

Mi misi nanga mi masra My feminine and masculine part

Mi dyodyo My divine parents

Mi skin My body, I

Mi geest My spirit, I

Wekker, G. (1994). Eindelijk kom ik tot mezelf [Finally, I’m in touch with myself].

In J. Hoogsteder (Red.), Etnocentrisme & Communicatie in de Hulpverlening (pp. 45-60).

Utrecht: Landelijke Federatie van Welzijnsorganisaties voor Surinamers.

A dynamic multiplicity of I positions

in the landscape of the mind,

intertwined as this mind is with the

minds of other people

The Dialogical Self

As voiced positions they tell their OWN

STORY; they are involved in dialogical

relationships both within and between

people.

Dialogical relationships involve both interchange and

relative dominance.

Hermans, H.J.M., & Gieser, T. (Eds.) (2012) Handbook of Dialogical Self

Theory. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

dreamer &

perfectionistavoider father &

grandfather

accepting psychotherapist

SOCIETY

EXTERNAL

DOMAIN OF

SELFINTERNAL

DOMAIN OF

SELF

DIALOGICAL SPACE

Richards example

- Takes a distance from the immediate stream of

experiences, but is still dialogical.

-The development of a meta-position with a broad

bandwidth contributes to the integration and continuity

of the repertoire as a whole.

Hermans, H.J.M., & Hermans-Konopka, A. (2010). Dialogical Self Theory: Positioning

and counter-positioning in a globalizing society. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press

(a) Overarching view on several positions;

(b) Linkages between positions with recognition of

their diversity and alterity;

(c) Direction of change

Meta-position (leadership in the self)

Motivation from a Dialogical Point of View

-Internal and external

promoter positions:

the case of Kader Abdolah

- his father and his dream as

promoter positions

- motivation is strongest when the promoter

position is supported by a broad bandwidth

of other positions

Promoter position (leadership in the self)

- Organizing the self-system in the direction of higher

developmental levels (e.g., becoming more authentic

or capable to deal with uncertainty)

- Openness towards the future of the self and have the

potential to produce and organize a diverse range of

more specialized but qualitatively different positions

Can you mention two promoter positions in your past

or present life, one external and one internal?

- Examples: ‘I as accepting,’ ‘I as artistic’, ‘I as

religious,’ ‘my mission’ or an external model

Summary:

Towards a deeper view on happiness

A dynamic multiplicity of

positive and negative I-positions in the society

of mind, involved in dialogical relationships --

including relationships of relative dominance--

with oneself and others

As a way to make productive use of the

volitional part of happiness

Hermans, H.J.M., & Meijers, F. (2019). The pursuit of happiness. Special issue on happiness,

British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 47, 139-142,

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