Stumbling on Happiness

Author: Daniel Gilbert
Publisher: Vintage Canada
ISBN: 0307371360
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Book Description
A smart and funny book by a prominent Harvard psychologist, which uses groundbreaking research and (often hilarious) anecdotes to show us why we’re so lousy at predicting what will make us happy – and what we can do about it. Most of us spend our lives steering ourselves toward the best of all possible futures, only to find that tomorrow rarely turns out as we had expected. Why? As Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert explains, when people try to imagine what the future will hold, they make some basic and consistent mistakes. Just as memory plays tricks on us when we try to look backward in time, so does imagination play tricks when we try to look forward. Using cutting-edge research, much of it original, Gilbert shakes, cajoles, persuades, tricks and jokes us into accepting the fact that happiness is not really what or where we thought it was. Among the unexpected questions he poses: Why are conjoined twins no less happy than the general population? When you go out to eat, is it better to order your favourite dish every time, or to try something new? If Ingrid Bergman hadn’t gotten on the plane at the end of Casablanca, would she and Bogey have been better off? Smart, witty, accessible and laugh-out-loud funny, Stumbling on Happiness brilliantly describes all that science has to tell us about the uniquely human ability to envision the future, and how likely we are to enjoy it when we get there.

Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism

Author: Fumio Sasaki
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393609049
Category : House & Home
Languages : en
Pages : 232

Book Description
The best-selling phenomenon from Japan that shows us a minimalist life is a happy life. Fumio Sasaki is not an enlightened minimalism expert or organizing guru like Marie Kondo—he’s just a regular guy who was stressed out and constantly comparing himself to others, until one day he decided to change his life by saying goodbye to everything he didn’t absolutely need. The effects were remarkable: Sasaki gained true freedom, new focus, and a real sense of gratitude for everything around him. In Goodbye, Things Sasaki modestly shares his personal minimalist experience, offering specific tips on the minimizing process and revealing how the new minimalist movement can not only transform your space but truly enrich your life. The benefits of a minimalist life can be realized by anyone, and Sasaki’s humble vision of true happiness will open your eyes to minimalism’s potential.

Stumbling on Happiness

Author: Daniel Gilbert
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0307265307
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 306

Book Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Bringing to life scientific research in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, philosophy, and behavioral economics, this witty, accessible book reveals what scientists have discovered about the uniquely human ability to imagine the future, and about our capacity to predict how much we will like it when we get there. • Why are lovers quicker to forgive their partners for infidelity than for leaving dirty dishes in the sink? • Why will sighted people pay more to avoid going blind than blind people will pay to regain their sight? • Why do dining companions insist on ordering different meals instead of getting what they really want? • Why do pigeons seem to have such excellent aim; why can’t we remember one song while listening to another; and why does the line at the grocery store always slow down the moment we join it? In this brilliant book, renowned Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert describes the foibles of imagination and illusions of foresight that cause each of us to misconceive our tomorrows and misestimate our satisfactions. With penetrating insight and sparkling prose, Gilbert explains why we seem to know so little about the hearts and minds of the people we are about to become.

Stumbling on Happiness

Author: Daniel Todd Gilbert
Publisher: Knopf Canada
ISBN: 9780676978575
Category : Happiness
Languages : en
Pages : 277

Book Description
Why are lovers quicker to forgive their partners for infidelity than for leaving dirty dishes in the sink? Why do patients remember long medical procedures as less painful than short ones? Why do home sellers demand prices they wouldn't dream of paying if they were home buyers? Why does the line at the grocery store always slow down when we join it? In this book, Harvard psychologist Gilbert describes the foibles of imagination and illusions of foresight that cause each of us to misconceive our tomorrows and misestimate our satisfactions. Using the latest research in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, philosophy, and behavioral economics, Gilbert reveals what we have discovered about the uniquely human ability to imagine the future, our capacity to predict how much we will like it when we get there, and why we seem to know so little about the hearts and minds of the people we are about to become.--From publisher description.

On Happiness

Author: Camilla Nelson
Publisher: Apollo Books
ISBN: 9781742586076
Category : Australia
Languages : en
Pages : 244

Book Description
What is happiness, and how does the pursuit of happiness shape our lives? Happiness appears to be a simple emotion, individual and pleasurable, yet the problems associated with happiness in politics, economics, and philosophy suggest that it is perhaps more complex and paradoxical than we first thought. This eclectic collection of essays interrogates the 'common sense' understanding of happiness in the West and examines the strategies devised to obtain it. Without disposing of the concept altogether, the book rediscovers the latent aspects of this pervasive (and elusive) phenomenon. Ultimately, it concludes that our current notions of happiness may in fact be the very cause of our discontent. On Happiness offers readers a spectrum of critical reflections and 'rethinks' of this ubiquitous cultural obsession. *** Librarians: ebook available on ProQuest and EBSCO [Subject: Philosophy, Sociology, Popular Culture]

Happy Lives, Good Lives

Author: Jennifer Wilson Mulnix
Publisher: Broadview Press
ISBN: 1770485228
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 346

Book Description
Happy Lives, Good Lives offers a thorough introduction to a variety of perspectives on happiness. Among the questions at issue: Is happiness only a state of mind, or is it something more? Is it the same for everyone? Is it under our control, and if so, to what extent? Can we be mistaken about whether we are happy? What role, if any, does happiness play in living a good life? Is it sometimes morally wrong to pursue happiness? Should governments promote happiness through public policy? Asking and answering these questions is worthwhile not only as an intellectual exercise, but also as a means of gaining practical insight into how best to pursue a happy life.

How To Be Happier

Author: Paul Jenner
Publisher: Teach Yourself
ISBN: 1444129120
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 160

Book Description
How happy are you? How To Be Happier encourages you to answer this question - honestly! - and suggests practical steps you can take to lead a more fulfilling and contented life. Banish the thoughts that make you unhappy and accept all the positive parts of who you are; learn the principles of happy eating and exercise your way to a healthier lifestyle; meditate for inner happiness; and practise great sex to boost your happy chemicals. With tips and anecdotes and a happiness plan to help you put into practice what you have learned, this book is an enjoyable way to reach what you have always strived for. NOT GOT MUCH TIME? One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started. AUTHOR INSIGHTS Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author's many years of experience. TEST YOURSELF Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress. EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE Extra online articles at www.teachyourself.com to give you a richer understanding of how to achieve happiness. FIVE THINGS TO REMEMBER Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts. TRY THIS Innovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.

How to Be Happier: Teach Yourself (New Edition) Ebook Epub

Author: Paul Jenner
Publisher: Teach Yourself
ISBN: 1444174487
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 262

Book Description
Everyone wants to be happy. But it's a lot easier said than done. Most books on happiness are fixated on particular routes to happiness, such as wealth, NLP, positive thinking, or mindfulness. This book takes a more joined-up approach, using each of these techniques, but also including the latest scientific research on what really makes us happy (clue: it's not the things you think).

50 Psychology Classics

Author: Tom Butler-Bowdon
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 1857884736
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 313

Book Description
Explore the key wisdom and figures of psychology's development over 50 books, hundreds of ideas, and a century of time.

Live Happier The Ultimate Life Skill

Author: Barrie Hopson
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1300067438
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 342

Book Description
'Happiness' is suddenly on everyone's lips - even politician's! But it has been the eternal quest of every generation since the first human beings. How to find it, how to keep it, how to help others find it. People have sought happiness through wealth, power, success, travel, love and passion, security, adventure, beauty - indeed every aspect of life. All that energy and experience has proved that there are no easy answers, no magic formulas. But what we do have now, to accompany the wisdom of the ages, is modern, scientific evidence from Positive Psychology. We now do have the answers to the questions: "How achievable is happiness?" "What are the components of happier living?" "What are the strengths, attitudes and skills of those who live happy, creative, flourishing lives? "How can we live happier? We offer these and more in this book.