Comments on: Book Review: Stumbling on Happiness

By: used tires

used tires — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:56:41 +0000

Wow haha, I read this book for my psychology seminar. It definitely delivers some interesting points and it made for some good discussions. It’s true that we are horrible at predicting what’s best for us. You are right about his style; the book definitely incorporates his sense of humor into it. He talks mainly of the limitations that humans have, like how our memory is vastly overestimated for example. It’s definitely a realist perspective and it’s a good read.

Till then,

Jean

By: Mike King

Mike King — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:02:05 +0000

Thanks Juliet, it’s great to hear you appreciate them. I certainly do read a lot. I’ve gone through almost 40 books already this year reading and listening. I had never read a book until about 4 years ago though and I’ve fallen in love with it. I’ll never stop now, I have all those years of catching up to do when I never read !

By: LifeMadeGreat | Juliet

LifeMadeGreat | Juliet — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 05:24:10 +0000

Hi Mike

This book gives a really interesting message – will take note of it.

Just to add, I think your reviews are great. You must read quite a bit and enjoy writing the overviews.

Thanks,
Juliet

By: Mike King

Mike King — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:38:59 +0000

Hi J.D. Gilbert covers that topic well in the book and looks at so many angles of our synthetic and fabricated happiness. It’s like the more we look for it, the harder it is to find it!

He talks about a bunch of different studies of choices and choices in determining our happiness. Turns out that more choice actually leads to indecision more than anything, which leaves you less happy than even choosing the least of the choices available since then you at least of something. It’s interesting as well how choices make people second guess themselves and think about the other options as soon as they have the item they first choose and how that option of something else still leaves them unhappy. Sad considering how much choice we really do have.

If you haven’t read the book, I think you would love it! Thanks for the comment.

By: J.D. Meier

J.D. Meier — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 09:21:46 +0000

Really good write up.

I like the distinctions and fine points.

Have you heard of “synthetic happiness”? It’s another distinction related to the number of choices we have. Fewer choices can help us appreciate what we’ve got, whereas more choices, can lead to dwelling on missed opportunities. I think that’s where an attitude of grattitude comes into play.