Full Potential: Daoist Wisdom Meets Western Psychology

Blending modern psychology and Daoist wisdom into a recipe for the fully actualized child, this book shows how human beings form an integral part of nature and the greater universe. Partaking in Dao to the fullest, they can experience a sense of well-being, inner harmony, and overarching excellence. Ancient Chinese texts describe this realization of our full potential in terms of free and easy wandering or skillful spontaneity. Western psychologists similarly speak of personal fulfillment in work and play. Most important among them are Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi with his concept of flow, Martin Seligman with his studies of authentic happiness, and Howard Gardner with his system of multiple intelligences. Activated differently in the brain, subject to both genes and training, these psychological dimensions become apparent in different stages of childhood development and are enhanced by optimal learning conditions, manifold forms of play, and conscientious parenting--leading to the realization of full potential and attainment of Daoist harmony. This book offers a unique presentation: none other pulls the same level of information together, let alone present it in such a vibrant and engaging way.