Wisen's notes

# Autotelic personality

Although everyone can learn to enter the flow state (Controlling consciousness is learnable), not everyone have the same level of ability to make everything they do enjoyable. People with an autotelic personality has a greater ability to enter the flow state than an average person, they have the habit of converting everything they encounter into an flow experience (Flow experience is an autotelic experience). Any activities can be converted to enjoyment. This means, based on the The prerequisites of flow experience, autotelic individuals are very good at challenge finding and skill building by themselves.

Personality trait is a pattern of attentional habits, therefore an autotelic individual are not born with this ability. These individuals are normally grown up on Autotelic family context, an environment that provides continuous examples of how to find challenges that require skills.

The other prerequisites of flow that is related to autotelic personality is clear goals. Mihaly indicates that autotelic individuals have a specific way of setting their goals, they usually have curiosity and interest in life, and low self-centeredness (Narcissism blocks flow).

# References

Mihaly, Flow (p. 90).

The traits that mark an autotelic personality are most clearly revealed by people who seem to enjoy situation that ordinary persons would find unbearable.

Mihaly, Flow (p. 92).

Richard Logan proposes an answer based on the writings of many survivors, including those of Viktor Frankl and Bruno Bettelheim, who have reflected on the sources of strength under extreme adversity. He concludes that the most important trait of survivors is a “nonself-conscious individualism”, or a strongly directed purpose that is not self-seeking. People who have that quality are bent on doing their best in all circumstances, yet they are not concerned primarily with advancing their own interests. […] Narcissistic individuals, who are mainly concerned with protecting their self, fall apart when the external conditions turn threatening. […]

Mihaly, Flow (p. 93).

Without interest in the world, a desire to be actively related to it, a person becomes isolated into himself. Bertrand Russell, one of the greatest philosophers of our century described how he achieved personal happiness: “Gradually I learned to be indifferent to myself and my deficiencies; I came to centre my attention increasingly upon external objects: the state of the world, various branches of knowledge, individuals for whom I felt affection.” There could be no better short description of how to build for oneself an autotelic personality.