The 4th International Positive Psychology Congress, organized by Üsküdar University with the theme "Psychological Resilience," concluded with the reading of a declaration emphasizing world peace. Üsküdar University Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the materialist system cannot produce solutions for human happiness, saying, "If people are not happy, the world's wealth loses its meaning. The science of happiness, also known as positive psychology, is the last refuge of capitalism. Aiming for global peace is very important." Tarhan stated that positive psychology focuses more on the process than the goal, adding, "If there is a right goal and a right method, there is no unattainable goal. If we cannot change the flow of events, we must change our perspective on events."
Positive Psychology: The Last Refuge of Capitalism…
On the second day of the 4th International Positive Psychology Congress, organized by Üsküdar University with the theme "Psychological Resilience," bringing together experts from Turkey and around the world, conferences, panels, and workshops were held.
The congress concluded with a panel titled "Child Rearing in Marriage and Emotional Intelligence in Education and Business Life." Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Founding Rector of Üsküdar University and also the congress chair, made a presentation titled "Emotional Intelligence in Marriage."
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "If people are not happy, wealth loses its meaning"
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that mindfulness, the science of happiness, or in other words, positive psychology, is the last refuge of capitalism, adding, "Capitalism has no other choice. We are talking about information that demonstrates the American saying, 'money can't buy happiness.' The USA puts everything into statistical data. Between 1950 and 2000, the average GDP in the USA increased from 20 thousand dollars to 35 thousand dollars. However, the proportion of people who said 'I am very happy' showed a decreasing trend. This means 'we are getting richer but not happier.' We see that the materialist system cannot produce solutions for people to be happy. If people are not happy, the world's wealth loses its meaning. Aiming for global peace is very important."
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "Einstein had issues with emotional intelligence"
Giving Einstein as an example regarding emotional intelligence, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, "Einstein, a Nobel laureate in physics, had a very high intellect, excellent violin-playing and chess-playing abilities, but he had problems with emotional intelligence. Around the 10th year of his marriage, he told his wife, 'If you want to stay married to me, don't complain about me, bring my meals to my room three times a day regularly, don't expect friendship and intimacy from me.' Einstein's wife did not accept this, and they separated. He focused on his work and was successful, but his happiness remains a question mark. We are on the path to applying what Einstein could not discover."
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "Turkey has the lowest out-of-wedlock birth rate"
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan pointed out that when looking at out-of-wedlock birth rates for 2016, Turkey had a rate of 2.9 percent compared to European countries, stating, "In Sweden, this rate was 54 percent. In countries like Norway, France, and Estonia, this rate is over 50 percent. It was reported as 69 percent in Iceland, 35 percent in Germany, 22 percent in Russia, and 21 percent in Ukraine. The lowest rate is observed in Turkey. In 10-20 years, this figure in Turkey may reach the levels seen in European countries. We are heading towards such a world. Marriage rates in Turkey increased by 1.6 percent between 2001-2018, while divorce rates increased by 54 percent. Turkey is also moving towards becoming a small Scandinavian country."
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "Humans are relational beings"
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that humans are relational beings, adding, "The first place where that relationality forms is the family, which is a small society. It is even considered the smallest psychological field. There is a field theory in psychology. According to the theory, it is not realistic to make a person happy without that field. OECD statistics from 2019 show that we are first in the world for violence against women, with a rate of 38 percent. After Turkey, the list continues with the USA, New Zealand, Lithuania, Denmark, and Finland. Unfortunately, we are in the first place in such a negative issue."
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "All goals can be achieved with the right aim and the right method"
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that they will continue the International Positive Psychology Congress, which they held for the 4th time this year, next year as well, saying, "Unless a new variant emerges, we plan to focus more on in-person attendance. In positive psychology, there is a focus more on the process than the goal. If there is a right goal and a right method, there is no unattainable goal. However, goals contrary to biological nature, such as making a woman a man, are excluded from this. If we cannot change the flow of events, we must change our perspective on events. When we change our perspective, even if we cannot control the event, we can manage it. Positive psychology teaches people this."
Prof. Dr. Sırrı Akbaba: "A quality family environment is important for child development"
Prof. Dr. Sırrı Akbaba, Rector's Advisor at Üsküdar University, who moderated the panel, also emphasized the importance of a quality family structure and education in child development in his speech titled "Emotional Intelligence in Education." Prof. Dr. Sırrı Akbaba noted that education is the process of humanization resulting from learning and teaching, adding, "Development is the process of becoming competent as a result of education. Emotionless education and development cannot be discussed. Education is needed for positive emotions to germinate and flourish. Especially the interest, compassion, and love of the mother or caregiver are very important."
Prof. Dr. Sevinç Serpil Aytaç: "Emotional intelligence is flexible, open to change and development"
On the panel, Prof. Dr. Sevinç Serpil Aytaç from the Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences at Fenerbahçe University made evaluations on emotional intelligence in business life. Prof. Dr. Sevinç Serpil Aytaç stated that emotional intelligence is flexible, open to change and development, adding, "The most important factors enabling this situation were revealed by the realization of the importance for an individual to have an EQ level alongside their IQ in order to achieve happiness and success throughout life."
Peace Declaration from Üsküdar University
At the end of the congress, while the Russia-Ukraine War continued, a declaration emphasizing world peace was read under the title 'Is War Necessary?'
The declaration included the following statements:
IS WAR NECESSARY?
"Global trend surveys show that humanity does not want war; even political authorities tend not to engage in this madness due to the fear of nuclear war. Because humanity has tasted freedom, peace, and tranquility. In today's world, where the world is an electronic village, bullies will lose.
The need for the United Nations to become a world parliament to ensure global peace has become even more pronounced. The father of enlightenment, philosopher Kant, said this for the first time.
Today, psychological sciences state that the method of persuasion and conviction is the only and sufficient solution. Every military success without ideology will be short-term. Because the justification for this war does not have the power to gain public conscience.
Mawlana, who is the inspiration for Positive Psychology, when asked "What is jihad?", says "It is to take the weapon from the hand of a madman."
It should not be forgotten that no matter how righteous its reasons, the country that pulls the trigger first and attacks will always remain in a position to be condemned and stopped in the eyes of world public opinion.
In the Russia-Ukraine war, it would be beneficial for both parties and the surrounding countries to end the conflicts as soon as possible and resolve the issue through diplomacy. The fact that two neighboring and fraternal peoples are shedding each other's blood is also deeply saddening. Furthermore, it has been observed once again that war harms not only the warring parties but also neighbors and the entire world in economic, political, and cultural dimensions.
It is possible for the Black Sea to cease being an arena for power struggles and demonstrations of strength by external powers, and instead become a demilitarized and unarmed sea where all coastal peoples engage in fishing, mining, and maritime trade.
Our hope is that this war can serve as a lesson to the parties, showing them what they can do and to what extent.
After the cessation of hot conflict, it is essential for political and economic power circles around the world to refrain from provocations that could trigger potential wars, in order to secure lasting peace.
The path of reason says; "persuasion, conviction," and the path of science says "diplomacy."
This war is not Ukraine's war but a war for global peace and democracy. We have decided to declare our stance in this direction.
Announced to the public."