{"id":13358,"date":"2026-02-25T09:59:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T08:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.grainesdepaix.org\/positive-emotions-between-the-pressure-to-be-happy-and-a-civic-lever-for-living-well-together\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T14:45:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T13:45:24","slug":"positive-emotions-between-the-pressure-to-be-happy-and-a-civic-lever-for-living-well-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grainesdepaix.org\/en\/positive-emotions-between-the-pressure-to-be-happy-and-a-civic-lever-for-living-well-together\/","title":{"rendered":"Positive Emotions: Between the Pressure to Be Happy and a Civic Lever for Living Well Together"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Laura Ducastel, Psychologist & Expert in Innovative Training (2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Article at a GlanceL’article en bref<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By questioning the role of \u201cpositive emotions\u201d in educational and societal contexts, this article offers a systemic reflection and presents concrete experiments to be implemented both at school and at home.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keywords: positive emotions, life skills, educational and societal transformation, desirable futures<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Long ignored by research, or even considered of little interest (Quoidbach, 2014), positive emotions are now an integral part of studies on human flourishing and the optimal functioning of individuals, groups, and institutions (Gable & Haidt, 2005). Yet their very success exposes them to a double reduction: a psychological one and a normative one. Confused with \u201cpositive thinking\u201d and instrumentalized by organizations seeking low-cost resilience, they sometimes become an injunction to individual happiness that obscures structural responsibilities (Cabanas & Illouz, 2018). In school settings, this drift is particularly concerning. Research indeed shows that mental health interventions produce lasting effects only when supported by inclusive practices and strong institutional leadership (INSPQ, 2026). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article therefore does not aim to add another layer of \u201cpositive gloss\u201d to contemporary educational challenges. Rather, it seeks to shift the perspective: what if positive emotions were neither goals to be achieved nor mere adaptive tools, but indicators of what, in our collective ways of doing, truly supports learning and living together? Building on a systemic and critical analysis, we explore this avenue through concrete examples (the positive emotions flower, rituals for sharing successes, savouring) that anchor emotions in cooperation and mutual recognition. Our hypothesis is that, when connected to inclusive, reflective, and systemic practices, positive emotions can become compasses for enriching meaningful educational narratives and for opening up, at children\u2019s level, other possible futures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What Are Positive Emotions and What Are They Really For? <\/strong>
How Can They Be a Resource in the World of Education?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Image 1 \u2013 The 10 Positive Emotions According to Barbara Fredrickson\u2019s \u201cBroaden-and-Build\u201d Theory (the diagram is in French). (1998, 2001)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Psychological research long focused on fear, anger, sadness, and disgust\u2014emotions with a major evolutionary function, as they enable us to survive and respond to immediate threats in our environment (Quoidbach 2023<\/a>). Since the late 1990s, however, driven by the work of researcher Barbara Fredrickson, positive emotions (joy, gratitude, interest, pride, awe, calm, etc.) have been defined as pleasant affective states that, like all emotions, involve a situational component (e.g., meeting someone you appreciate in the street), a cognitive component (e.g., appraising this encounter as positive), and a physiological component (e.g., increased heart and breathing rates, and the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine or oxytocin) (Palazzolo, 2024).
Positive emotions play a role in broadening and building resources (Fredrickson, 1998, 2001)\u2014intellectual, social, psychological, and physical\u2014in a lasting way, even in times of crisis (Fredrickson, 2003). Below is a non-exhaustive overview of the benefits identified through the experience and expression of positive emotions (see Lyubomirsky et al., 2005; Diener et al., 2002; Isen, 1999; Danner et al., 2001):<\/p>\n\n\n\n