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Go with the Flow
PSYCHOLO GY FLOW 'flo / noun, verb (1) Smooth, continuous movement, as of water; (2) the mental state of being completely absorbed in what one is doing. Origin: From German and Old English flowan, meaning “flood.” The word’s psychological meaning was coined in 1990 by psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, whose research subjects used water metaphors to describe states of highly focused, joyful productivity. Usage: Used literally, flow refers to the movement of water and other fluids. But water is an essential human and environmental need, and it is a universal part of the human experience. So, the idea of flow is also very popular as a metaphor. “In psychology, flow refers to a mental state where someone is so happily immersed in an activity that they lose all sense of time. As Csíkszentmihályi said, ‘The purpose of the flow is to keep on flowing, not looking for a peak or utopia but staying in the flow.’”
N Y M P H É A S B Y C L A U D E M O N E T ; A´R V A I P H O T O B Y M A R C - G R É G O R C A M P R E D O N
Joe Árvai, Dana and David Dornsife Chair and professor of psychology and biological sciences, is the first behavioral scientist to serve as director of the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies. He studies how people formulate beliefs and make decisions about environmental issues. On his days off, he makes documentary photographs, rides motorcycles and climbs mountains. Spring / Summer 2022 | 9
