Search for a command to run...
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce Dr Richard Cowden, a social-personality psychologist and explore some novel concepts – including redemptive ropes and transcendent threads – that are relevant to mental health and human flourishing. Design/methodology/approach Cowden uses qualitative research in the form of positive autoethnography to reflect on some complexities pertaining to mental health and flourishing as they relate to his life, research and applications. A 10-question Q and A with Cowden follows. Findings The pursuit of a flourishing life calls us to embrace life in its entirety – joy and grief, achievement and loss, virtue and imperfection. Cowden applies an existential filter to bring new concepts into the conceptual landscape of human flourishing. Research limitations/implications This positive autoethnographic case study presents the views and experiences of Richard Cowden, which cannot be generalized. Cowden, a scholar with expertise in the realm of human flourishing, presents us with insights that could inform future empirical research. Practical implications A range of ideas with practical relevance, such as redemptive ropes and transcendent threads, are introduced and explained. For example, prospective redemption involves trusting in the possibility that good can emerge from present suffering, while retrospective redemption involves contemplating the good that has potentially arisen from prior negative events or experiences. Social implications Cowden recounts his involvement in the landmark longitudinal Global Flourishing Study, which includes over 200,000 adults from more than 20 countries. A key objective of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the distribution and determinants of human flourishing in and across different socioeconomic, religious and cultural contexts around the world. Originality/value The paper introduces a range of concepts with practical applications to human flourishing, including the concepts of redemptive ropes and transcendent threads. The authors learn how these redemptive and transcendent considerations could help us address and overcome existential struggles toward deeper flourishing.