Science and philosophy
Where positive psychology meets Indian philosophy.
Modern psychology measures wellbeing with rigour. Classical Indian thought offers a time-tested map for living well. Yellowverve brings the two together into practices that work inside real organisations.
Both traditions agree on the essential point: lasting fulfilment isn't handed to us by circumstance. It is cultivated through mindful, ethical, intentional choices, and that can be learned.
From fixing what's wrong to building what's strong.
- Early 20th century
The clinical model
Psychology focused on diagnosing and treating illness, aiming to move people from distress to a neutral baseline.
- Mid 20th century
Humanistic psychology
Abraham Maslow introduced self-actualisation: the drive to grow and fulfil our potential once basic needs are met.
- Late 1990s onward
Positive psychology
Martin Seligman and colleagues built an empirical science of strengths, optimal functioning and what makes life worth living.
Two traditions, one map of a good life.
Seligman's PERMA model names five measurable pillars of flourishing. The Purusharthas name four legitimate aims of human life. They line up closely.
| PERMA (positive psychology) | Purushartha (Indian philosophy) | What they share |
|---|---|---|
| Positive emotion | Kamapleasure, aesthetic joy | Enjoyment is a legitimate part of life, best kept in balance by ethics so it doesn't become compulsion. |
| Accomplishment | Arthaprosperity, mastery | Competence and success matter, when pursued by right means rather than at others' expense. |
| Meaning and relationships | Dharmaduty, social harmony | Fulfilment comes from responsibility to others. Dharma also guides the other aims, turning individual effort into shared good. |
| Engagement and flourishing | Mokshaliberation, self-realisation | The highest form of wellbeing: freedom from ego-driven striving, and a lasting inner peace. |
Stepping off the hedonic treadmill
We adapt quickly to good news. Lottery winners, for example, return towards their usual level of happiness. Research suggests about 40% of differences in happiness relate to intentional activity, which is the part we can work on.
Indian thought offers two tools for this. Sthitaprajna, steady wisdom, is staying calm through both success and setback. Vairagya, healthy detachment, is letting go of the need for constant external reward.
From personal wellbeing to shared good
Barbara Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory shows that positive emotions widen our thinking and build lasting resources: creativity, resilience and relationships.
Positive emotion and virtue
broaden attention and build resilience.
Nishkama Karma
brings full absorption in the work itself, much like Csikszentmihalyi's flow.
Lokasamgraha
directs that energy towards the welfare of the wider team and world.
Research we draw on
Psychological wellbeing and optimism are associated with lower risk of heart attack and stroke.
Boehm & Kubzansky, Psychological Bulletin, 2012
Adults over 50 reporting the most enjoyment of life had a 28% lower risk of dying over seven years.
English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (Steptoe & Wardle, 2012)
Nuns whose early writing showed the most positive emotion lived 9.4 years longer than those showing the least.
Danner, Snowdon & Friesen, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2001
Genetic set point around 50%, circumstances around 10%, intentional activity around 40%.
Lyubomirsky, Sheldon & Schkade, Review of General Psychology, 2005
Lottery winners rated everyday pleasures no higher than non-winners.
Brickman, Coates & Janoff-Bulman, 1978
Positive emotions broaden thinking and build lasting personal and social resources.
Fredrickson, broaden-and-build theory
About us
About Yellowverve
Yellowverve is the brand of Happiness Corporation of India. We exist to make workplace flourishing practical and measurable, helping organisations move beyond one-off wellness activities towards a system for Joy, Purpose and Growth that employees feel and HR can see.
Our name says what we do: bring the warmth of yellow and the energy of verve back to the places where people spend most of their waking lives.