Why FLOW ?

" Csikszentmihalyi's big discovery is that there is a state many people value even more than chocolate after sex. It is the state of totaimmersion in a task that is challenging yet closely matches one's abilities. It is what people sometimes cal, "beign in the zone."

Csikszentmihalyi called it "flow" because it feels like effortless movement. Flow happens, and you go with it. Flow often occurs during physicamovement – skiing, driving fast on a curvy country road, or playing team sports. Flow is aided by music or the action of other people, both of which provide a temporastructure for one's own behaviour (for example, singing in a choir, dancing, or just having an intense conversation with a friend). And flow happens during solitary creative activities, such as painting, writing, or photography. The keys to flow: There is a clear challenge that engages your attention; and you get immediate feedback about how you are doing at each step (the progress principle). You get flash after flash of positive feeling with each turn negotiated, each high note correctly sung, or each brushstroke that falls into the right place. In the flow experience, elephant and rider are in perfect harmony. The elephant (automatic process) is doing most of the work, running smoothly through the forest, while the rider (conscious thought) is completely absorbed in looking out for problems and opportunities, helping wherever he can. "

---- Jonathan Haidt, The Happiness Hypothesis