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The Good Life

Positive psychology and what makes life worth living.

by Christopher Peterson

Christopher Peterson is professor of psychology at the University of Michigan. See full bio

Comments on "What Have You Done for Yourself Lately?"

What Have You Done for Yourself Lately?

By Christopher Peterson, Ph.D. on August 3, 2009 in The Good Life

I have been traveling for the past six weeks and am just now catching up with the news. Read More

Good Speller James is in the House

Submitted by James Marcus Bach, HS.D. on August 4, 2009 - 2:10am.

"Such folks are lamentable clichés, and they illustrate the downside of person-role merger, even when the role is positive."

I think such folks are only clichés on TV, because TV writers are cynical and young and look for easy targets. So it's the cliché that's the cliché!

In real life, I can see nothing whatsoever wrong with someone who still savors a self-defining triumph from the past. I'm trying to think of any scenario where it is somehow a "downside" to enjoy the fruit of one's glorious past. Can you offer a reason why people should let go of positive self-defining labels that refer to past deeds?

Yes, working your Harvard education into every conversation might be tiresome, but that's not a downside of self-role-merger, that's a downside of being tiresome. If someone graduated from Harvard a week ago and did that, we'd roll our eyes. A 30-year gap is not the issue.

I won a spelling bee in fifth grade. That makes me "good speller" James! Not ex-good-speller. Not former good-speller. Just Good Speller! This is not "wallowing in the past" this is dwelling WITH the past.

Your points are well taken.

Submitted by Christopher Peterson, Ph.D. on August 5, 2009 - 1:26pm.

Your points are well taken. Maybe I should have emphasized past 'roles' that still define the person as opposed to past 'successes' or past (and present) 'skills' that are part of who we are ... for most, being a good speller is a skill, not a role ... CP

Good Speller James

Submitted by Anonymous on December 15, 2009 - 2:08pm.

I congratulate James for still being able to derive positive feeling from this early experience. Still I doubt he tells everyone that he is the Good Speller, and I doubt he has expectations that his Good Speller identity means that he is due continuing rewards based on that role.

I am reminded of the movie Erin Brockovich. At one point Erin's lines are something like "I was Miss Whatever, for heaven's sake! I was supposed to have a life of success and consequence! Now I'm thiry and divorced with three children and no job! How did this happen to me!" When people expect unrealistic continuing rewards for previous roles, or don't understand how to make previous successful roles work for them as they move on, as James does - isn't that when trouble looms?