to distract constructively;
to distract in ways that are in themselves satisfying;
to do things that are intrinsically gratifying
Niven Professor of Humane Letters in Psychology(Ph.D. Ohio State, 1956)
401A Schermerhorn Hall
212-854-3957
310 Schermerhorn Hall
212-854-8450
At 84, instead of slowing down, he’s preparing for his American book tour and fielding questions from Polish journalists.
His secret seems to come straight from the marshmallow test: distraction. “It’s to keep living in a way one wants to live and work; to distract constructively; to distract in ways that are in themselves satisfying; to do things that are intrinsically gratifying,” he says. “Melancholy is not one of my emotions. Quite seriously, I don’t do melancholy. It’s a miserable way to be.”
