Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's Finding Flow

In the article “Finding Flow” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi he expresses that we need to choose from now to when our time is done whether to live or to die. He explains that we need to take control of our own path and not let outside sources get in the way. Csikszentmihalyi expresses that being alive is to live life to the fullest. By this he means not to waste time or any potential. In a study Csikszentmihalyi did with his class at a factory he found that most workers hated their job other than one man named Joe. Joe loved to do what he did. By this Csikszentmihalyi is explaining that even though most people hated working at the factory, one man was living his life the way he wanted to. He mentions that is not normal for different experiences …show more content…
By this he is explaining what he believes we need to do to find happiness. He uses the thesis “We cannot expect anyone to help us live; we must discover how to do it by ourselves” (432). He does an excellent job using excellent examples to help back up his thesis. Like the example of him and his students doing a study at a factory. Most of the hated their jobs except Joe “He loved to take on machinery that didn’t work, figure out what was wrong with it, and set it right again” (432). This example backs up his thesis of his article by showing that the individual Joe has discovered by himself what makes him happy. By this Joe is living his life they way he wants too without expecting anyone else to help. Csikszentmihalyi uses the techniques of ethos, pathos, and logos to help him persuade his readers. He provides credibility because he is a psychologist, he hits us emotionally because we all want to be happy, and he uses logic to help him with his reasons to prove what is saying is true. Csikszentmihalyi article fits in perfectly with the chapter “The Pursuit of Happiness.” The article “Happy Like God” that is also to do with happiness explains “Happiness is not quantitative or measurable and is not the object of any science, old or new” (449). This connects well with Csikszentmihalyi article because there is no secret to happiness. No science can help you find it. One must discover itself and continue to search for it on a daily basis. In conclusion what Csikszentmihalyi is trying to explain to us is that no one can help us find happiness. We must continue to challenge ourselves on a daily basis to create flow so we can look back at the best times in our