Practicing what we preach in humanistic and positive psychology

Abstract

Comments on the article "The humanistic psychology-positive psychology divide: Contrasts in philosophical foundations" by Waterman (see record 2013-12501-001). With a largely backward glance cast toward humanistic psychology's early successes, Waterman's article concluded by turning toward positive psychology's "vibrant" future and pointed to irreconcilable differences that would limit further dialogue between the two fields. From the current authors' perspective, such an assessment results in premature closure on the relationship between the two subdisciplines, as we in the humanistic tradition continue to appreciate and place our trust in the power of dialogue. Psychologists on both sides of this epistemological boundary might therefore benefit from focusing on the possibilities offered by an interface between the two approaches rather than on a divide that is far more likely to push us apart.