On the invitation of HRH Crown Prince Alexander Foundation for Education and Culture, a distinguished psychologist and lecturer Dr. Christopher Thurber held two workshops about efficiency, success and happiness for domestic scholars and students, at the White Palace in Dedinje.
Dr. Christopher Thurber delivered lectures on two topics: “Positive Psychology: What Flight Attendants, Nuns, and Hotel Rooms Reveal about Happiness” and “Intelligent Failure: What Matters is Not How You Fall, but How You Get Up”. Dr. Thurber demonstrated how to cultivate authentic positive emotions focused on the past, present, and future. History is a mix of negative and positive, but the future will be better when each person understands the factors that contribute to his or her optimal functioning. Also, Dr. Thurber emphasized that failure is natural, educational, and essential for character development, and by contrast, Intelligent Failure combines high effort, optimism, and an analysis of what did not go quite right. His advice for students is to learn to see failure as integral to learning today so they can ensure success tomorrow.
Dr. Christopher Thurber is devoted to educating leaders using innovative content that stirs thinking and compels action. A graduate of Harvard University, Dr. Thurber has served as a psychologist and instructor at Phillips Exeter Academy since 1999. He is the co-founder of ExpertOnlineTraining.com, a website that hosts a library of original educational videos for youth leaders. He has been invited to deliver keynotes, contribute articles, and lead workshops on five continents. He and his wife Simonida, a chemist and musician who grew up in Belgrade, live with their children in New Hampshire, in the northeast United States. More about Dr. Thurber and access all of his articles, book chapters, and podcast can be found on DrChrisThurber.com.