The Impact of One Book About Friendship in the Lives of Readers

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Abstract

Research shows the benefits quality friendships have throughout humans’ lives. Recent scientific literature focuses on social impact. However, the social impact of reading and dialoguing about a book about friendship is not explored. This study aims to analyze the impact of “Creative Friendships” in the lives of participants and their surroundings. Using communicative methodology, based on dialogical co-creation from the start, it includes 30 participants from diverse backgrounds and ages through individual interviews, a focus group and the observation of two dialogic seminars. Results show how reading and discussing the book impacted participants’ views of beauty, goodness, truth, and freedom.

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The benefits of frequent positive affect: does happiness lead to success?

Sonja Lyubomirsky, Laura King, Ed Diener (2005)

Numerous studies show that happy individuals are successful across multiple life domains, including marriage, friendship, income, work performance, and health. The authors suggest a conceptual model to account for these findings, arguing that the happiness-success link exists not only because success makes people happy, but also because positive affect engenders success. Three classes of evidence--crosssectional, longitudinal, and experimental--are documented to test their model. Relevant studies are described and their effect sizes combined meta-analytically. The results reveal that happiness is associated with and precedes numerous successful outcomes, as well as behaviors paralleling success. Furthermore, the evidence suggests that positive affect--the hallmark of well-being--may be the cause of many of the desirable characteristics, resources, and successes correlated with happiness. Limitations, empirical issues, and important future research questions are discussed.