Emotional Success

David DeSteno's Emotional Success is an exploration of harnessing the practical power of using positive emotion to impact decision making. Current models promote suppressing emotion and using willpower as a means of self-control which, DeSteno argues, is not viable in the long term. With comparisons to well-known studies and a balance of hard research and popular culture examples, Emotional Success calls for a paradigm shift in the way in which we talk about the effect of responding emotionally.Presented in four sections that pull together cutting-edge research from his own Northeastern University lab, DeSteno explores the benefit of promoting the prosocial emotions of gratitude, compassion, pride and guilt. Trying to balance and control emotions by using cognitive strategies is complicated and often ineffective in the long term, but building decisions based on an emotional response is in alignment with a 'gut-feeling'.In a similar way to how the zeitgeist has looked to mindfulness as a means by which negotiate the information overload of modern life, learning to use emotion as a response toolkit is an essential way to achieve rational decision making with a real long term impact

“Emotional Success is as inspiring as it is practical. DeSteno shows us how to use our feelings of gratitude, compassion, and authentic pride to improve our lives - and the world.”

Emotional Success is as inspiring as it is practical. DeSteno shows us how to use our feelings of gratitude, compassion, and authentic pride to improve our lives – and the world. -- Arianna Huffington, author of Thrive and The Sleep Revolution
Are high achievers simply blessed with more willpower than the rest of us? DeSteno's provocative argument is that the science of success is, in fact, very much the science of social emotions like gratitude and compassion. I, for one, am convinced! -- Angela Duckworth, author of Grit
One of the leading psychologists of our time has discovered the keys to success: our emotions. They give us strength, they help us stick to our goals, they make us better friends and better people. DeSteno shows how gratitude, compassion, and—surprisingly—pride are essential to the good life. Emotional Success is a beautifully written and very important book. -- Paul Bloom, professor of Psychology at Yale University and author of Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion
A revolutionary way to achieve our goals that promises to make us happier, healthier, and more resilient along the way. Using persuasive prose and cutting-edge science, DeSteno shows how we can attain grit and grace — the perseverance to succeed combined with the qualities that inspire others as well. -- Chade-Meng Tan, author of Joy on Demand and Search Inside Yourself
Anyone who hopes to live a more meaningful and fulfilling life should read this book. DeSteno reveals the hidden power of “prosocial emotions,” feelings like pride (but without hubris), gratitude, and compassion. He relies on research rather than anecdote to convince us that these emotions underlie grit and emotional intelligence. -- Peter Salovey, Professor of Psychology and President, Yale University, and co-discoverer of emotional intelligence
If you think the key to self-control is overriding your emotions, think again. Moral emotions can strengthen your willpower—and this fascinating book uses the latest social science to explain how. -- Adam Grant, author of Give and Take, Originals, and Option B with Sheryl Sandberg

David DeSteno is a professor of psychology at Northeastern University. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, where he is editor-in-chief of the journal Emotion. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Pacific Standard, and more. He is the author of The Truth About Trust and co-author of The Wall Street Journal spotlight psychology bestseller Out of Character. David received his Ph.D. in psychology from Yale University.

Gratitude, compassion and pride - not willpower - hold the secret to achieving your goals Using cutting-edge research, world-leading psychologist David DeSteno shows you how gratitude, compassion and pride are far more powerful than grim determination and self-denial in achieving your goals. Whereas willpower is quickly depleted, our prosocial emotions - the feelings that enable us to build effective social bonds - become stronger the more we use them. Even better, they're contagious.

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