Stumbling On Happiness By Daniel Gilbert
Posted on March 19th, 2008 by Rob McPhillips
I just came across an interesting and entertaining short video of a 22 minute talk by Stumbling on Happiness Author Daniel Gilbert. I thought you might find it useful so I’ve posted it below. In it he talks about synthetic happiness and real happiness.
I have his book here, when I’ve read it I might post more on it. Share your comments and let me know your thoughts on the ideas in the video.
I so believe that happiness is a perspective of each indivual and not everyone has same option on what makes one happy. I am happy because Im in good health, have anice house, great husband, and great friends, but yes I do think of how much happier I would be with a career and to add to our income. But regardless of all that I appreciate what I have and always remind myself it could be worse like people living in Dafar, or any country who has any turnoil and I remind myself how lucky we are to live in the US.
Happiness is living in the moment – definitely. I recall before my crisis waking happy everyday. Now, I am living in grief, sorrow, and in the future… in my head. Not appreciating the moment. I have decided to do things everyday … even just a little bit and then add to it. To give, be diligent, and interact with those you love brings happiness at a higher level.
Happiness is like a ball:u keep kicking it and rinning after it,and just as u re about to catch it ,u kick it again…..and startrunning after it all over again..Yes, it is the chase that stimulates u.I is in the quest,in the pursuit of a goal that u find happiness………………….when u get something u want,u re happy fr a while,but that is soon followed by a feeling of emptiness,n u start to want something else…………the answer is to set out fr the most inaccessible goal: perfection,immensity and eternity,,,,in pursuing this goal u ll find all things u desire::knowledge,wealth,power n love. YES U WILL FIND THESE THINGS EVEN WITHOUT ASKING FR THEM……………..
I found the idea of synthetic happiness quite interesting, already being familiar with the idea that some people are naturally happier than others. The idea that we can make our happiness is quite an empowering one. However, I was left wondering if natirally happier people are also better at synthsising happiness – i kinda suspect they are!
Also I think that one of the problems of modern life is that we have too much choice and the black and white situations he describes when it is easier to synthesise happiness are quite few and far between or fairly dramatic (like bcoming paraplegic, imprisoned etc.)
Hmm, so that’s raised quite a few questions for me. I’d like to know more…