Pre-departure for Copenhagen, both my parents had the habit of telling people that I was going to Denmark solely to take the "Psychology of Happiness" core course. This wasn't entirely true. In fact--from what I could see about it online--it looked like a wishy-washy class about staying positive, and my first response was to suppress the gag reflex. But hey, if you're going to take a course like this, why not take in in the "happiest country on Earth"?
Well, while it's true that any place we have visited with this class has buttered us up with a combination of tea/coffee, snacks, and a non-traditional seating environment (all of which I couldn't be more stoked about!), I could not have made a less accurate prediction of what the "psychology of happiness" entails. Positive psychology is a very real (and fascinating) science. Sure, it may be more on the social spectrum of psychology fields (which isn't particularly my preference), but that doesn't stop it from peering into what makes humans tick at our best levels. That statement, at any rate, is what I like about psychology--not the abnormal, but the parameters in which we normally operate, which help us feel emotions, react to them in certain ways, and excel over other species.
Our academic visits, on the other hand, had a strong base in applied psychology, bringing research and positive psychology theories into pedagogy and the workforce. I was especially expecting to get a little bored at the visit to the Kaospilots in Århus (Denmarks' second largest city). We were told that they were school that focused on entrepreneurial skills for youth. What they should have told us is that it's a secondary school of awesomeness, where students (some of which already have a bachelors degree, and others have just spent time doing something else since high school) spend three years learning how to direct their own skills to something good for the world. Kaospilot grads essentially learn how to live a meaningful life, and while most do not choose to get an actual degree for it, they can still find a job or create their own business.
We also had visits to the Universe Research Lab and Danfoss Universe experience park, both run by the Universe Foundation in conjunction with Danfoss--a huge Danish company in the heating/cooling business. I know that doesn't at all sound related to psychology, but what Danfoss has done is comparable to if Ford built a science/kid's museum on the outskirts of Detroit and devoted a separate foundation to improved education for young Michiganers. The Universe Research Lab was behind a lot of what gets put into the Danfoss Universe park. They also have a two-year project with the schools in Vejle, researching working conditions, well-being, and learning for students, teachers, and administrators. What's even cooler is that the project makes schools to develop their OWN improvement plan, based on the results from the surveys.
And then there's Danfoss Universe, which was just pure awesomeness in only a few acres of space. I think a lot of Danish parents are skeptical about the quality of this park. After all, there are no rides--just learning. However, you get to ride segways, play with energy, spin around on awesome playground equipment, play with ACTUAL excavators (not the kids-sized ones we had at my pre-school playground!) and lift a car, for pete's sake! Do you know how many 20-year-olds attacked the lever to lift a car? Pretty much all of us. And we all had to have a turn being lifted on the ropes when other people let go. Danfoss Universe also features a giant blue cube that was Iceland's pavilion in the 2000 World Expo, and an exhibit that encourages kids to explore their multiple intelligences (which I unfortunately was not able to spend a lot of time in).
These businesses don't advertise as part of the positive psychology movement. They don't sell self-help books that will just make us feel worse when we don't need them. Instead, they improve the world by helping individuals grow on their own terms. And that's what it's all about.
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