What Makes Us Happy?
theatlantic.com
What Makes Us Happy?
1–10 of 36 posts
Re: What Makes Us Happy?
#2The following talk is required viewing before any discussion on happiness can take place. It's absolutely and completely vital to understand the points demonstrated in this talk to have an informed opinion on the subject.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_...
Long story short: Choice makes us unhappy, yet we believe that it's what will make us happy and so we strive for it. We actively seek out that which will make us unhappy in the search for happiness.
Re: What Makes Us Happy?
#3The following talk is required viewing before any discussion on happiness can take place. It's absolutely and completely vital to understand the points demonstrated in this talk to have an informed opinion on the subject. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_... Long story short: Choice makes us unhappy, yet we believe that it's what will make us happy and so we strive for it. We actively seek…
I couldn't get halfway through the article, as it's filled with pointless details.
This TED talk, on the other hand, is straight to the point.
Watch it instead.
Re: What Makes Us Happy?
#4[deleted]
Re: What Makes Us Happy?
#5Very long article but I still found it valuable. It identifies a few factors as being better predictors of happiness in later life, not just having say factor #1 or #3 but a combination of them simultaneously, the more--of course--the better.
It does seem to put more weight on how we deal with adversity as being probably more important, having a range of "strategies" from the more immature to the more advanced, which suggests that they are learned or one can eventually make the leap to the better ways. Also it mentions how physical health as a young adult is a better predictor of mental health later in life, but not so much of physical health. And of course, that warm, deep personal relationships are very important too, not so much quantity, but quality.
Have not watched the TED video suggested by badger7, but I believe there is value in this article too. Do not dismiss it for being too "narrative" or simply long.
Re: What Makes Us Happy?
#6The following talk is required viewing before any discussion on happiness can take place. It's absolutely and completely vital to understand the points demonstrated in this talk to have an informed opinion on the subject. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_... Long story short: Choice makes us unhappy, yet we believe that it's what will make us happy and so we strive for it. We actively seek…
I couldn't get halfway through the article, as it's filled with pointless details. This TED talk, on the other hand, is straight to the point. Watch it instead.
The article truly has nothing to do with the role of choice on happiness, its about the study of entire lives with depth.
Re: What Makes Us Happy?
#7The following talk is required viewing before any discussion on happiness can take place. It's absolutely and completely vital to understand the points demonstrated in this talk to have an informed opinion on the subject. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_... Long story short: Choice makes us unhappy, yet we believe that it's what will make us happy and so we strive for it. We actively seek…
I couldn't get halfway through the article, as it's filled with pointless details. This TED talk, on the other hand, is straight to the point. Watch it instead.
I suppose it depends on how you approach the article. I didn't really expect a concise, scientific piece from The Atlantic, especially one that starts off as a flashback reminiscent of a mild psycho-drama. I didn't expect it to give me the secret to happiness either. I read it more as a collection of non-fictional short stories with a binding theme (life and happiness) I suppose. That's probably why I enjoyed it more than you did.
Re: What Makes Us Happy?
#8Earlier quoted context omitted.
I couldn't get halfway through the article, as it's filled with pointless details. This TED talk, on the other hand, is straight to the point. Watch it instead.
I suppose it depends on how you approach the article. I didn't really expect a concise, scientific piece from The Atlantic, especially one that starts off as a flashback reminiscent of a mild psycho-drama. I didn't expect it to give me the secret to happiness either. I read it more as a collection of non-fictional short stories with a binding theme (life and happiness) I suppose. That's probably why I enjoyed it more…
It's the Atlantic, not a psychology journal, so the expected audience and writing style are going to be different. Coding Horror is usually pretty short on depth and detail, too.
Articles like this are a good way to hear about studies you want to read about further. I don't have time to keep current on neurology, linguistics, psychology, history, archaeology, epidemiology, etc., etc., etc. journals, and I highly doubt I'm the only one. I'm grateful for authors like Oliver Sacks who write about the material in an approachable manner.
(This same point came up yesterday. Some people here seem eager to jump on psychology as being not science, and all writing about it being fluff.)
Re: What Makes Us Happy?
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
I couldn't get halfway through the article, as it's filled with pointless details. This TED talk, on the other hand, is straight to the point. Watch it instead.
The article truly has nothing to do with the role of choice on happiness, its about the study of entire lives with depth.
I thought this was a good capsule summary, actually:
Yet, even as he takes pleasure in poking holes in an innocent idealism, Vaillant says his hopeful temperament is best summed up by the story of a father who on Christmas Eve puts into one son’s stocking a fine gold watch, and into another son’s, a pile of horse manure. The next morning, the first boy comes to his father and says glumly, "Dad, I just don’t know what I’ll do with this watch. It’s so fragile. It could break." The other boy runs to him and says, "Daddy! Daddy! Santa left me a pony, if only I can just find it!"
His study seems to support the idea that the way people react to problems in their lives affects their overall happiness more than the problems themselves.
Re: What Makes Us Happy?
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
I couldn't get halfway through the article, as it's filled with pointless details. This TED talk, on the other hand, is straight to the point. Watch it instead.
The article truly has nothing to do with the role of choice on happiness, its about the study of entire lives with depth.
Exactly!