Positive psychology has been successful in drawing attention to the fact that psychologists had overlooked what makes life worth living.
At first the relationship between positive psychology and humanistic psychology was difficult. But as positive psychology has developed and matured it is clear that the idea we should be concerned with what makes for a good life was an idea also at the core of humanistic psychology in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
Humanistic psychology developed around the middle of the twentieth century in part to address the fact that the previous ways of thinking in psychoanalysis and behaviourism had not been concerned with the full range of functioning.
Humanistic psychology focused on a person, as a whole, and their immanent tendency and possibility to grow, towards self-realization. It tries to answer the question: what may help the person develop their potential.
Positive psychology focus on all circumstances that are connected with peoples' wellbeing and happiness. It tries to answer the question: what makes people feel happy.
They both focuse on a positive aspects of human existency, in contrast to clinical approaches.
