1. The Flow State X Post Traumatic Growth Personality In These Times
The darkness also contains truths that could bring the light to its knees.
— Andrea Gibson, Grief Astronomer
The Relationship between Adversity and Success
Research suggests 3/4 of entrepreneurs, creatives and leaders cite a history trauma or adversity as their biggest driver: they are a specific type of the trauma survivors who go onto to do great things: supersurvivors.
It makes sense. Those of us who have gone through Big T trauma and adversity have powers forged in the fires of great personal and existential reckoning. The escape velocity required to get out of the black hole requires tremendous charge.
We must learn to transmute pain into high levels of consciousness, focus and purpose, to create meaning, sovereignty and healing from it all.
We try to justify the darkness with equivalent light, the learned helplessness with equivalent power'; the shattering of the ordinary self with a high level of self actualisation.
Two Sides Of The Same Coin
Much time, money and focus in society is spent on the problems and pathologies of human existence, and the uncertainty, risk and turbulence we are facing as a collective.
In the same way, much time, money and focus in psychology is spent on problems and pathologies that individuals face in their recovery from trauma and adversity.
But as Martin Seligman, trauma recovery pioneer and co-founder of Positive Psychology, observed, ‘Curing the negatives does not produce the positives.’
Seligman not only coined the term ‘learned helplessness’ and was a groundbreaking expert on trauma, but co-founded Positive Psychology with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, father of flow states research, and coined the term ‘learned optimism’.
They both understood that trauma and human flourishing and well-being are two sides of the same coin: the truth of the human condition at its worst and at its best.
The Cost And The Invitation
Becoming a high functioning trauma survivor is an extraordinary feat, but it comes at a cost.
We may:
be high functioning in our careers but our relationships suffer.
struggle with addictions, from work to substances to dopamine distractions.
carry an abiding sense of impostor syndrome, despite all we’ve achieved.
be stuck in a rigid mindset and learned pessimism,
repeatedly get set back by scattered focus or procrastination
feel learned helplessness that makes us despair of ever being able to realise our highest potential.
have nervous systems that still scatter under pressure
experience deep drops in executive functioning
have tendencies to overwhelm or burnout
find time management impossible to sustain
These ripples can thwart high performers from moving into their peak potential, and living a life of efficiency, balance and joy.
Flow X Post Traumatic Growth Personality
The flow prone/ autotelic personality is characterised by a love for challenges, intrinsic motivation, and a knack for entering flow states.
The PTG personality is characterised by enhanced resilience, purpose, and appreciation for life, and a similar knack for entering altered states.
Despite their different origins, the post traumatic growth personality shares many characteristics with the flow prone personality: unusual creativity, grit, innovation, risk tolerance, out of the box thinking, and a lifelong desire for autonomy, mastery and meaning.
When we look deeper, we find they share:
· Intrinsic Motivation
Autotelic: Kotler emphasizes that autotelics pursue activities for their own sake, not external rewards. They’re drawn to tasks with clear goals and immediate feedback, like painting or climbing, because the process itself is fulfilling.
PTG: Post-traumatic growth often fosters a shift toward intrinsic values. Survivors reprioritize life, focusing on meaningful relationships or personal missions over fleeting gains, as seen in studies where 70-90% of trauma survivors report a renewed sense of purpose.
Both are driven by internal compasses, enabling them to stay focused and authentic in a world of distractions (e.g., social media noise or economic pressures).
· Resilience and Adaptability
Autotelic: Kotler notes autotelics embrace challenges and view setbacks as opportunities to learn, thriving in high-stakes environments (e.g., athletes tackling risky moves). Their flow-prone nature makes them adaptable, as flow requires balancing challenge with skill.
PTG: PTG individuals develop “psychological flexibility” post-trauma, often reporting greater emotional strength (e.g., 60% of PTG subjects in Tedeschi’s studies show increased coping skills). They reframe adversity as a catalyst for growth.
Both bounce back from disruption, making them well-suited to navigate today’s volatility, from economic uncertainty to rapid technological change.
· Heightened Self-Awareness
Autotelic: Flow states, per Kotler, involve a temporary loss of self-consciousness but lead to deeper self-awareness over time. Autotelics understand their strengths and triggers (e.g., novelty or focus) to optimize performance.
PTG: Trauma survivors often gain a clearer sense of identity and values, with 80% in PTG studies reporting a “changed sense of self.” They become attuned to their emotional and spiritual needs.
This self-knowledge allows both to make deliberate choices, aligning actions with purpose in chaotic times.
· Openness to Experience
Autotelic: Kotler highlights that autotelics seek novelty and complexity, key flow triggers. They’re curious, willing to experiment (e.g., with new skills or environments), which keeps them in the “upper possibility space.”
PTG: Post-traumatic growth fosters openness to new perspectives, with survivors often exploring spiritual or creative outlets (e.g., 50% of PTG individuals report increased creativity or spiritual engagement).
Both embrace uncertainty, a critical trait in an era of AI-driven disruption and global unpredictability.
· Sense of Purpose and Meaning
Autotelic: Flow states, as Kotler describes, deliver profound meaning by aligning action with passion. Autotelics often feel their work contributes to something larger, whether art or innovation.
PTG: A hallmark of PTG is a redefined life purpose, with survivors often dedicating themselves to helping others or pursuing callings (e.g., veterans becoming advocates). Studies show 70% report a stronger sense of life’s meaning.
Both are driven by a “why” that transcends personal gain, positioning them to inspire and lead in times of societal disconnection.
· Ability to Enter Altered States
Autotelic: Kotler emphasizes that autotelics naturally access flow, a state where the brain’s reward chemicals (dopamine, anandamide) and reduced prefrontal activity create timelessness and effortless action.
PTG: Trauma can unlock transformative experiences akin to mystical states, with survivors reporting moments of clarity or connection (e.g., near-death experiences mirroring flow’s ego-dissolution). PTG studies note parallels with meditative or psychedelic states.
Both can tap into “Cloud Nine” states, enhancing creativity and problem-solving in high-pressure contexts.
How this relates to High Performance
Imagine a life where adversity fuels growth, flow drives effortless creation, and your leadership inspires a better future.
A person who combines the autotelic’s flow mastery and expanded consciousness with the PTG personality’s transformative resilience and purpose is a powerhouse.
Flow state science and systems train us to hone mindset, leverage biology, create a North Star of strengths, values, passions and profound transformative purpose; train executive function into monklike focus, create pristine time management and life design.
It expands a bandwidth of consciousness that allows for unusual, extraordinary alchemy, inspiration and innovation.
PTG’s transformative wisdom, resilience, meaning making, sense of new possibilities and spiritual connection trains us not just to survive crises but to transform them into growth for themselves and others.
We can become high performers of great service to these times, because of trauma and adversity, not in spite of it.