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The first, based on flow theory, predicts that experience will be most positive when a person perceives that the environment contains high enough opportunities for action (or challenges), which are matched with the person's own capacities to act (or skills). When both challenges and skills are high, the person is not only enjoying the moment, but is also stretching his or her capabilities with the likelihood of learning new skills and increasing self-esteem and personal complexity. This process of optimal experience has been called flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975, 1982; Inghilleri, 1986b)

Needless to say, such a blindness to the real state of affairs is likely to have unfortunate consequences for both individual well-being and the health of society. Following the cue of their motivation, people will try to do more of those activities that provide the least positive experiences and avoid the activities that are the source of their most positive and intense feelings. At the societal level, this trend will add up to a continuing exodus from productive activities in favor of leisure.

It is highly probable that if people admitted to themselves that work can be very enjoyable-or at least, more enjoyable than most of their leisure time is-they might work more effectively, achieve greater material success, and in the process also improve the quality of their own lives.