Bio for Eric Karpinski
Eric Karpinski is a positive psychology author and speaker and has been on the cutting edge of bringing positive psychology tools to workplaces for over 10 years, with clients that include Intel, Facebook, IBM, T-Mobile, Genentech and many others.
Episode highlight
As a child, Eric Karpinski moved around a lot. He hated saying goodbye to old friends but loved making new ones. Listen in on how he takes his love for friendships, harmony and positivity into his work as a positive psychology speaker and author.
Links
Website: www.EricKarpinski.com, www.puthappinesstowork.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erickarpinski/
Twitter: @erickarpinski
Quotes
“I’m a white male and so I got to live in a world that was made for me.”
“There’s just no possibility of being happy all the time. Happiness is a fleeting emotion and all we can do is plant seeds for it and hope that it grows but if we expect it to, now we’re just destroying it.”
“Look for something good that you can share.”
Takeaways
Childhood Incidents
Growing up in a military family, Eric moved often across the USA, which taught him about different cultures and the importance of inclusion.
Eric discovered that for four years, his father had been volunteering at a group home for people with mental health disorders. He was inspired by his father’s quiet generosity.
Influential Groups
As a white male, Eric recognizes the privileges and biases he grew up with as a member of the dominant culture. He consciously works towards inclusion and equity.
Eric felt a sense of belonging with Burning Man Festival’s culture of gifting, love, acceptance and creativity, which helped him heal from “the disease of materialism,” leading him to his career path today.
Temperament and Personality Influences
Eric has always been an extrovert and this was reinforced by moving often, finding commonality, connection and community wherever he went.
Cultural Epiphanies
Eric observes that the ambitious work ethic is part of the white culture, which drove him to success but away from happiness.
Advice to an Employer
Eric desires space to create social connection and a positive, supportive, appreciative, and communicative culture with the autonomy to reach goals on his own.
More Great Insights!
Eric’s book, Put Happiness To Work, lays out an ‘action buffet’ with activities to drive happiness and engagement at work. Also check out Sticky Situations, a blog he writes with his wife about using positive psychology at work. You can also reach out to him on LinkedIn or Twitter.