The dangers of Joy?

Posted by Ann Deaton Share Your Voice

We all know that anger and fear pose risks, but what could possibly be the risk of joy? David Kaiser, PhD has written a wonderful little article documenting the potential risks of this supposedly "positive" emotion. In particular, I found it powerful to see Kaiser's framing of Joy as a distraction and, in some cases, an addiction. Kaiser is certainly not anti-Joy, of course. He just provides some wonderful awareness of how a constant pursuit of Joy might get in our way of true Fulfillment and bringing our most powerful self to the world.

Questions: Where in your life is Joy abundant and enabling you to be your best? In what situations are you choosing Joy instead of Responsibility and Impact? What might that be costing you?

⇐ Previous Post: The dangers of Joy? Next Post: Supporting Each Other ... ⇒

Ann Deaton I am a leadership coach, and Managing Partner in Bounce. I love to coach and facilitate with individuals and systems experiencing significant change and growth. The clients I work with, regardless of their age or position, are talented and creative individuals willing to look with fresh eyes at their challenges and opportunities, and to take action based on their discoveries. As a result, they find that they are capable of accomplishing far greater things than they ever imagined. What do you want to accomplish today? Who do you want to be?