Some Western researchers have attempted to study virtues cross-culturally, but failed to include the virtues of non-violence and peace, which appear as fundamental positive constructs in the Indian ethos. Interestingly, the West gives the Nobel Peace Prize every year! This demonstrates how the WEIRD worldview dominates research on virtues, values, and positive psychology. In a review of the critique of positive psychology, other researchers have identified six themes, the most important being a lack of theorizing and conceptual thinking in the field of positive psychology. They also identified methodological and measurement issues, a lack of replicability, and the absence of novelty. Positive psychology is also criticized as a decontextualized neoliberalist ideology, which is but a capitalist venture. The indigenous theory presented in this paper addresses these critiques


Textual analysis of Bhagavad-Gītā, a revered text in India and around the world, is carried out to develop a theory of positive psychology by building on constructs available in the Indian culture. Indigenous constructs, models, theories, and knowledge systems can provide opportunities for dialogues that can prevent epistemic violence, which is rampant because of the mindless imposition of Western constructs, models, and theories in the Global South. The paper contributes to a burgeoning field of research called the Indian Knowledge System (IKS), which enriches global psychology and also helps escape the colonial dominance in knowledge creation. It is hoped that this paper will stimulate indigenous research and enrich worldwide dialogues among researchers in the field of psychology in general, and positive psychology in particular.