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It's one of my favorite talks and books as well. It really opened up my eyes to how I am often trying to maximize in a lot of ways in my life and that it was ma

by allenu 7y ago

It's one of my favorite talks and books as well. It really opened up my eyes to how I am often trying to maximize in a lot of ways in my life and that it was making me miserable. Now I try to limit places where I expend that mental energy and make sure it's worth it, and be okay with just "satisficing" where it really won't make a big difference.

jonplackett 7y ago
If you like that did you also watch the one based on the book ‘Stumbling Upon Happiness’ https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_the_surprising_science_of_happiness/up-next https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_the_surprising_science... It seems to me almost like a scientific proof of Buddhism. This also made me really think about why I was perusing certain goals or not. The basic premise is that humans think they’re really good at predicting what will make them happy, when in reality we totally suck at it and make lots of deliberate choices that are bound to make us unhappy.
- allenu 7y ago
  Yes! I watched that video as well around the same time and read the book. (Admittedly I was in a "positive psychology" kick at the time and was consuming anything about happiness.) I like your summary. An even more general way to look at is that we have less control over our minds (and moods) than we expect, so don't stress about it. :)
  - yboris 7y ago
    I too read many books on Positive Psychology and can highly recommend for you an attempt to unify the field into a cohesive whole: The Good Life: Unifying the Philosophy and Psychology of Well-Being by Michael Bishop https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YD26TIS/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YD26TIS/ref=dbs_a_def_r... The author points out how the current field is fragmented with no underlying theory, and he provides one by reconciling the demands of psychologists and philosophers who have thought and written about this topic.

by allenu 7y ago

jonplackett 7y ago

If you like that did you also watch the one based on the book ‘Stumbling Upon Happiness’ https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_the_surprising_science_of_happiness/up-next https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_the_surprising_science... It seems to me almost like a scientific proof of Buddhism. This also made me really think about why I was perusing certain goals or not. The basic premise is that humans think they’re really good at predicting what will make them happy, when in reality we totally suck at it and make lots of deliberate choices that are bound to make us unhappy.

allenu 7y ago
Yes! I watched that video as well around the same time and read the book. (Admittedly I was in a "positive psychology" kick at the time and was consuming anything about happiness.) I like your summary. An even more general way to look at is that we have less control over our minds (and moods) than we expect, so don't stress about it. :)
- yboris 7y ago
  I too read many books on Positive Psychology and can highly recommend for you an attempt to unify the field into a cohesive whole: The Good Life: Unifying the Philosophy and Psychology of Well-Being by Michael Bishop https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YD26TIS/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YD26TIS/ref=dbs_a_def_r... The author points out how the current field is fragmented with no underlying theory, and he provides one by reconciling the demands of psychologists and philosophers who have thought and written about this topic.