Happy is the rock we stumble over?

What kind of happiness do you seek? why are we bad at choosing those things that make us happy? Dan Gilbert has an answer?



Dan Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness, challenges the modern notion that people are miserable if they don’t get what they want. Our "psychological immune system" lets us feel truly happy even when things don’t go as planned.
The function, he biologically, locates in the frontal lobe is what for hundreds of years ethicist and philosophers have called "moral consciousness." It has two aspects critical conscience and imaginative consciences. Critical is the function of the “frontal lobe” that allows you to look at yourself objectively (to a degree). Imaginative is the ability he speaks of as the way we can project possible outcomes or do mental experiments in our heads. The first is just a base comparison with our slandered of judgment (the absolute of our faith) and the second functions is more complex. It depends our personal beliefs and ideas about the world, people, ect, to generate scenarios we then draw conclusions from.

Dan a psychology professor at Harvard clams our beliefs about what will make us happy are often wrong -- a premise he supports with intriguing research. Mr Gilbert current research is on the question is our common assumptions about what will make us happy are often wrong -- is supported with clinical research drawn from psychology and neuroscience.

why believe in others

Viktor Frankl's own profound experience as a holocaust survivor created a deeper need to search for meaning. When one has lived a generally balanced life with the usual struggles to succeed and survive there isn't 'such' a great need for deep, meaning and 'life' enquiry unless you are inclined that way. Commonly, It's when people are faced with something terrifying and possibly life damaging or threatening that they have to contemplate their own fate and for many, the meaning of their existence regardles of their age.

The degree of 'need for meaning' depends on how profoundly people are affected by their experiences. In 1972 post hippiedom was a sponge still absorbing the shock of WW2, Vietnam, terrorism and nuclear threats, creating much existential enquiry. Materialism and the sheer volume of other distracting factors since the 80's has desensitized people who are in general, in the absence of direct, personal threat, or educational requirements, more focused on just getting on with their lives. Here is a little clip by Viktor Frankl on Religion and Ultimate Meaning 1990