Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Why aren't smart people happier?

experimentalhistory.substack.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

121–130 of 515 posts

Re: Why aren't smart people happier?

#121

Post by achenet »

okamiueru wrote: post #20
willcipriano wrote: post #9

Being smart isn't enough, you have to be wise. Intelligence can help you climb to the highest positions in business and academia, wisdom allows you to understand that it isn't really worth it.

I don't know if wisdom really helps. Or, maybe I just feel that way, because I lack it. How would wisdom help with happiness, when you see a likely worsening climate, rampant inequality for really no good reason, which together with the former is bound to cause significant sivil unrest and wars in the coming decades? In my limited version of it, is to strive to be humble, and the happiness for those around you. Find…

> The only thing to hope for is a miracle in both energy production, and a sudden increase in empathy.

Humans can work miracles sometimes. We came up with microprocessors, I'm sure we'll think of a good way to increase energy production and empathy. :)

> I fear that human nature is stil stuck in a the ape mindset of "I got mine", and will never get out of.

Maybe it will. No reason not to hope.

Re: Why aren't smart people happier?

#122

Post by badpun »

throwawaythekey wrote: post #85
klik99 wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Serious question - how old are you? Anecdotally I’ve noticed smart people tend to have this attitude until their late 20s when it starts mellowing out. Now I’m a bit older I see my smarter friends happier than anyone and the less smart just about the same as always

A possible explanation is that the mellowing is due to the loss of acuity with age. The more likely explanation is that it's an evolutionary adaption in response to how ones function in society changes with age.

I think it's just increased wisdom and maturity. Some people need a certain number of years (their twenties) before you start noticing how pointless and bad for you it is to be angry at the world.

Re: Why aren't smart people happier?

#123

Post by YeahNO »

jrimbault wrote: post #6
NickRandom wrote: post #2

The sad fact is that humans can never be happy for any length of time. It is how our brains are wired and a result of evolution. Even if a person lived in a paradise and had all their needs and wants provided; one of two things will occur - Either that person becomes bored or they wonder 'hmmm, I wonder if x,y or z could be better in some way?' and then trying to improve on perfection.

Aren't there some studies about how stress level doesn't seem to change much in relation to income and education ?

Actually, money can buy happiness, or at least, the lack of worry. A study [1] found, "the ideal income point is $95,000 for life evaluation and $60,000 to $75,000 for emotional well-being... this amount is for individuals and would likely be higher for families."

[1] Jebb, A.T., Tay, L., Diener, E. et al. Happiness, income satiation and turning points around the world. Nat Hum Behav 2, 33–38 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-017-0277-0

Re: Why aren't smart people happier?

#124

Post by lotsofpulp »

nickelcitymario wrote: post #108

I actually would not expect smart people to be happier. In fact, I wouldn't expect any group of people to be particularly happier than anyone else. Happiness and suffering are two sides of the same coin and we evolved these feelings (or they were bestowed upon us by God, either way) in order to guide us. We do more of what feels good, less of what feels bad. If we're happy all the time, happiness loses its intended p…

> That's why, no matter what financial windfall you may experience, give it 6 months and you'll be just as miserable (or worse) as you were before. But because you got a high off of it initially, you keep pursuing more and more, always convinced the next upgrade in your life is what will do the trick. But it doesn't. All you're doing is raising the bar for what it takes to make you momentarily happy.

I am pretty sure someone who has no security of shelter/food/water/healthcare/education/legal who gains those securities is happier than before they had those securities.

At least I am. It is nice being able to sleep knowing I don not have to worry about my basic needs, and being able to walk away from tasks I do not want to do.

Re: Why aren't smart people happier?

#125

Post by tartoran »

2000UltraDeluxe wrote: post #80
latexr wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ding! At a certain point constant existential dread becomes tiring. You spend years mulling on it and the answer continues to be there’s nothing you can do, so what’s the point in worrying? Might as well go do something else and enjoy yourself.

Precisely! In the end, life will kill all of us at some point. Until then we have two choices: We either do what we can with what we have, or we don't.

That’s exactly my strategy for shutting down the existential dread mill. Whenever it bothers me too much I’m pointing my attention to how it all eventually turns to dust. The effect of that enables me to try to enjoy the now.

Re: Why aren't smart people happier?

#126

Post by badpun »

rr888 wrote: post #113
willcipriano wrote: post #9

Being smart isn't enough, you have to be wise. Intelligence can help you climb to the highest positions in business and academia, wisdom allows you to understand that it isn't really worth it.

I was going to say the opposite. Leaders are often wise, experienced and good communicators, they dont need intelligence.

True leaders (in the abstract, idealised sense), maybe, but actual people we have in real-life leadership positions definitely not. They need to be super-smart to handle the corporate game of thrones without getting stabbed in the back too quickly.

Re: Why aren't smart people happier?

#127

Post by [deleted] »

badpun wrote: post #126
rr888 wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was going to say the opposite. Leaders are often wise, experienced and good communicators, they dont need intelligence.

True leaders (in the abstract, idealised sense), maybe, but actual people we have in real-life leadership positions definitely not. They need to be super-smart to handle the corporate game of thrones without getting stabbed in the back too quickly.

[deleted]

Re: Why aren't smart people happier?

#128

Post by solumunus »

Apreche wrote: post #40

The smarter people see the truth of the world and the universe. If the truth was good, that we lived in a wonderful society with wonderful people in a universe that cares about us, smart people would be so happy. But being smart just means you know the awful reality of things. Congrats, you learned about all these awful things you can’t do much to fix, and the reward is you get to experience existential dread. Congra…

Heard this so much as a teenager.

Re: Why aren't smart people happier?

#129

Post by shafyy »

bryanlarsen wrote: post #59
dusted wrote: post #34

I'm not especially smart, or happy, but, personally, I don't know how to be it, or what it feels like. I know pleasure, but being in a constant pleasurable state is not what is meant by happiness as far as I know. Slavoj Žižek (someone who does seem to be especially smart): “Happiness was never important. The problem is that we don't know what we really want. What makes us happy is not to get what we want. But to dre…

Short term happiness is the wrong goal. The hedonic treadmill is one reason why. Long term life satisfaction is the correct goal. For example, having children decreases the former yet increases the latter.

> For example, having children decreases the former yet increases the latter.

For you, maybe. This is not true for everbody.

Re: Why aren't smart people happier?

#130

Post by tlogan »

Good post. Yes - we only know how to measure one type of smartness which does not collerate with happiness at all. Maybe some people are happier when they are in relationships? Others when they are alone. Some when they have a dog. Then some can be happy only if they have a bird… I wish I knew.
Post reply on HN