The Psychology of GLEE

GLEE, the hot FOX television series, is growing more and more popular across the world. People proudly proclaim themselves "Gleeks" and fanatically download song after song. I am a bit of a Gleek myself. Why? GLEE also has terrific lessons to learn which I believe anyone should learn to improve mental well-being.

Just a little over half through the first season GLEE has dealt with some heavy mental health issues. Emma Pillsbury, school counselor, is obviously a person with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) that is centered around germs and cleanliness. Kurt Hummel is dealing with his obvious homosexuality in a high school setting and the coming out-process with friends and family. Artie Abrams is confined to a wheelchair in a school inadequately prepared for the handicapped and friends who are oblivious to his issues. Quinn Fabray is the head cheerleader who finds out she is pregnant and faces being kicked out by disapproving parents. There are many more stories centered around body image, fitting in and romantic lives but I feel the real lessons are the ones left unstated.

Dr. Martin Seligman, of the University of Pennsylvania, has been central in pioneering a new branch of psuchology called positive psychology. In a nutshell positive psychology examines the things in life that make happy people... well, happy. This article will take a look at how GLEE is an excellent example of Seligman's routes to happiness. These are hedonics, gratification and meaning.

Hedonics, or increasing positive emotions, is the type of happiness most people refer to in casual conversation. It relies on having a positive outlook on past, present and future events. No one embodies this principle more than Rachel Berry, who seems to walk around in a star-shaped cloud of dreams. Despite daily "slushee facials", Rachel firmly sets her eyes on the future she dreams of and rarely looks back. She continually, almost annoyingly, reminds herself how good she is at performing and how big of a star she is going to be. It is this upbeat attitude that helps a person get part of the way to happiness. However, hedonics can only get a person so far.

Next route discussed is the pursuit of gratification. Gratification refers to a sense of satisfaction involving character strengths such as creativity, perseverance and appreciation of beauty and excellence. No character embody these strengths more than Kurt Hummel. Despite the death of his mother, Kurt endures a daily routine of being thrown in the dumpster, a possible slushee facial and ridicule from the jocks. In addition, as a gay teen, he endures a state of separation, not "one of the guys" and, while he relates to them, not one of the girls. Yet through all this, he almost always shows the strength of character to be himself and engages himself in creativity through music and fashion. In a position where most teens may be concerned with only themselves, Kurt has the presence of mind to protect his father's feelings before his own when he intentionally blows his chance at a solo singing "Defying Gravity" of WICKED fame; a traditionally female role. Gratification and hedonics combined are still not enough according to positive psychology.

The third route to happiness is possibly the most important. It involves around a person serving something larger than himself; having meaning in their lives. Meaning involves community, spirituality, knowledge and goodness. Teacher Will Schuester is the epitome of a man chasing meaning in his life. His dedication to the kids he teaches in the glee club of McKinley High is obviously based on his desire to serve the students; to not simply perform, but to better themselves as people as well. Enforcing lessons about Artie's handicap by forcing his kids to ride in wheelchairs, taking his males to task over their (and his own) insensitivity to their female counterparts and his recurring advice to the teens to never compromise who they are- to be themselves and become the best at that as they can are all prime examples of the role meaning takes in his life.

These lessons in positive psychology via GLEE episodes are valuable to everyone of all ages. If you don't watch it already, maybe you should think about it. The music is pretty great, too.

A Balanced Psychology and a Full Life, Seligman, Parks, & Steen, 2004