Last week I came across an interesting article about happiness in the Washington Post. What caught my attention was the statement that "we are poor judges of what will make us happy and unhappy." According to Daniel Gilbert's book, Stumbling on Happiness, a person that wins 314 million dollars in the lottery and a person who becomes paraplegic in an accident will be equally happy with their lives one year after the event. I find that mindboggling. My mind tells me that I would be so much happier with the lottery win.
Having open choices or options does not make one happier. In fact, it does the opposite.
For those of you that prefer listening and watching the Harvard professor, Daniel Gilbert explain his theories on happiness, check out this podcast. He goes into more detail and clearly explains the experiments mentioned in the Post article.
When I was growing up and started to throw a tantrum, my mother often said to me, "You can get glad just as easy as you got mad (or sad, depending on the event)." According to Gilbert, my mom was on to something. If you make the choice to accept what you cannot change, you will be happier.
Check out the article and the podcast. Let me know your thoughts about his ideas on happiness.
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I basically agree with Gilbert, that it depends on the choices you make in life if you make right choices i believe that person will become happy, but if you make bad choices, that person won't feel happy at all. So people should think about what they are going to do before doing it, and always make right choices, but if you don't you should at least learn from your mistakes.
Well I don't know why Gilbert did all that research when people have had the saying, "When life gives you lemons make lemonade". Aparently it took all that research to understand that if you have a bad situation you'll eventually learn to live with it. Once you learn to live with it you will be happy with what you have. Just like how some rich people are miserable, while poor people, living on the streets, are happy. Like Gilbert said people make their own happiness, or syntheticate happiness.
AmbraMHenry3
Out of all thing Gilbert mentioned i agree the most with what Tangitauehenry2 said, that it depends on the choices you make in life, if you make right choices that person will become happy, but if you make bad choices, that person won't feel happy at all. So thats why our High School years are important because if we do something that will Scar our live in negative ways the rest of our lives will be lived negatively.
I agree with Gilbert, that people can get whatever they want and not being satisfied. I also have alot of experience about what gilbert was pointing out. and i prefer not to be paraplegic than winning in lottery. but then i agree with tangitauehenry2 that "you can learn from your own mistakes"
i think what daniel gilbert said was correct and he described it well synetic happines and alll that when you dont get what you want you try to make up but i think that if your happy with what you have or what you can accomplish you will feel better and result in better view on what you have.
TO WHAT I HAVE READ I NOW KNOW HOW PEOPLE CAN BE HAPPY OR ANGRY. THIER EMOTIONS ALWAYS DEPEND IN THEIR DECISIONS. IN ORDER FOR A PERSON TO LIVE A HAPPY LIFE THEY NEED TO MAKE THEIR RIGHT DECISIONS. WHEN MAKING BAD CHOICES MANY WILL FEEL NOT HAPPY OR DOWN FOR REGRETTING IN MAKING THAT CHOICE. SO PEOPLE SHOULD BE CAREFUL BEFORE MAKING BAD DECISIONS.
i would have to agree with Gilbert because it depends on if you make good choices or not. If your a person thats not always wants whats new or in style you will make good choices. But if your a person who always whats the next best thing then thats your problem by making eveything a headace on yourself. You should be greatful for everything you have beacuse some people cant affored have all these kinds of thing that you want. Always make good choices.
rantisidHenry2
Reading this article, put me in the stage of surprised. I was pretty surprised how Harvard Psychologist Daniel Gilbert explained the information given on people who try so hard to be happy, but at the end, is not happy at all. I agree with Gilbert, describing how we are poor judges when it comes to the fact of what will make us happy or unhappy. Honestly, happiness comes and goes, we are not perfect, but human beings. We do make mistakes, but put it this way, we learn so much more when we make mistakes than we don't. You can't always expect things like you want, but when those sorrow events come through, you can let it pass you and move on! Gilbert said it once and I'm not going to say it again, people make their own happiness.
I agree with most of the things that Gilbert said. I also think that no matter what, people will never think of their lives as EXACTLY perfect. But they can make it as perfect as possible. It just depends on their decisions and making wrong/right choices. In my opinion, if you see everything as a negative, and think about everything negatively; for example, not having exactly what you want, or making a big deal out of something small,then yeah you're life isn't going to be as good as you want it to be. But if you look at the positive side of a bad situation and you make the best of it, then yeah, you can be pretty happy.
I agree with Gilbert. My favorite part was when Carey K. Morewedge said:"The first million you earn means more to you than the second,"[...]"After a certain point, you become insensitive to gains of the same size." I find that to be so truw. Once you get something amazing, it always has to get better. People never seem to enjy the simple things in life anymore. I also believe thatit is true, you can plan it, you just "Stumble upon happiness"
I didn't know that people research about syntherthic happiness in the people. I was confused when Mr, Gilbert was saying it was hard to understand but it was interesting to read. Wow people can be unhappy sometime and researcher study those feeling that is cool.
I understand what Gilbert talks about in his article. We all expect to be happy when we achieve what our heart desires, but do we really need them? I mean we would all be still be equally happy if we do soemthing else besides achieving something that we really don't need. It is because we think that if we do something or buy something it will make us happy, but when we do get it we feel like we wasted our time or money on trying to achieve that one thing when we could be doing other things.
I agree what Gilbert said because that decisions affect your life. you win some, you lose some. For losers they just have to accept and live with it, while other people are winning they just take it for granted or sometimes miserable because somethings missing and that can't make you happy. Life's a gamble, we make decisions and don't know whats coming at us.
well to what gildbert said about how many percentages are happy, with the pictures with the family receiving the check and the other picture, they can be both happy based on their life u juss gotta make the right choices and learn from your mistakes just like what tangitauehenry2 said, and the things that humans do, can make them happy based on what they want.
I believe that when you get everything you need there's nothing to live for. When you still have goals set and haven't fulfilled them then you want to keep going you have something to do things to see. For example say you won the lottery and your goal was to go around the world you could do that with all the money you have now, but if you don't have the money you have something to live for and along the way you can find yourself finding it funner to reach that way by meeeting new people and discovering new things. The rich way only leads you too one path and the finishing your goals as quick as you can.
I think its pretty interesting how a person with no legs can be as happy as a millionaire. This shows us that we can be happy with our things.
Be careful. Several of you are just paraphrasing what I said. You are not demonstrating that you read the article or watched the podcast.
I agree with all that Gilbert has said in his article. People spend too much time thinking about their happiness, and not enough time achieving it. You don't know what lies ahead of you, so there is no point in guessing. Just live your life, and see what comes along your way. As noted in the article, people tend to over think what will negatively happen in their future, which in turn, scares them into not taking risks. Life is all about risks, its all about not knowing what will happen and being positive about it. So just clear your head of nonsense, & live with no regrets. Because you'll find out that by learning from your mistakes, you'll be much happier than having everything go the right way.
I agree with both Gilbert and the person in the Washington Post. They both have really good ideas on how happiness works. But I would have to say the person in Washington Post made more sense to me and made it more clear.
PEREZAHENRy2
I AGREE WITH GILBERT. IN EVERY CHOICE YOU MAKE YOU CAN GET SOMETHING GOOD OUT OF IT. WHETHER YOU WIN THE LOTTERY OR YOU BECOME PARALYZED FROM THE HIPS DOWN EITHER WAY IN A MATTER OF TIME YOU`LL STILL BE HAPPY IN A MATTER OF TIME.
Well through my own life expirences I've had a similar theory on happiness on how taking a risk no matter what the outcome you end up feeling pretty good about yourself.I have learned that every once in awhile i take risk and it turned out unexpectedly but in the end i felt good that i took the risk.Also you can win the lottery but in a year you feel the same as you did before the lottery;you'd have alot of money but you'd be used to it just the same as becoming a parapeligec in about a year you be ok with it
I have to say that i agree, listening to Daniel Gilbert, and how he brings out a point saying how we try and choose the better choice for ourselves that we think will make us happy and if we dont then we end up living iwth it and eventually become happy because we learn form that mistake. Also how our emotions can interfer with how we make ourselves happt and pick the right choises. Overall, i think Gilbert had a good expination on why we are happy and why were not happy. it depends on you and your choises you make for yourself.
I agree with Daniel Gilbert on how it depends on the choices you make i life. Everything can seem more positive or negative through your eyes depending on how you see things; optimistic or pessimistic.So i think the point is to make the right choice or at least the choice that you know you will be happy with and have no regrets.
I DON'T AGREE WITH GILBERT!!!!!!!!!
It was a very interesting article, but it's completely wrong. when most people think about what will make them happy, they are generally thinking about in that moment, not "what will make me happy a year from now?", so one year later doesn't really apply. also, something could happen in that one year that could make them unhappy. an example is the death of a loved one. another is a foolish mistake. a woman won 15 million dollars in the lottery. she opened a business and started to live in luxury. the business eventually went out of business; and as a result, she was bankrupt by the time a year had passed. shit happens; and that isn't applied into the statistics. she eventually lost her mansion.
One more thing. i believe i'm a good decider about what makes me happy when i think about my future. i know that i will be happier later on if i graduate from a university and get a high paying job. see? I do know what will make me happy.
and while you continue on with your lives, read this Chinese proverb i found on a teabox:"IF YOU CAN'T CHANGE YOUR FATE, CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree with Girlbert fully, it really does deoend on the choices you make. You need to know what good and bad choices are and if you dont know it would be hard to understand life.
GretterMHenry2
I agree with the both of them. They both show that happiness comes from what we dont know and, apparently, research proves it. Choice determines whether you're happy or not. If the choice is good, you're more likely to be happy. If its bad, you're more likely to be unhappy. I believe anyone can change their fate at anytime and I suggest to try and change it for the better.
lujanahenry2:
basically, i agree and disagree with Gilbert. i agree with him that you should make choices that will make you happy in the long run. but i also disagree with the fact that you don't know whats going to come to you in life and you never know how you are going to react in it. even if he does say 'sythnetic happiness' comes when it's not planned and you could be happy, his point is that we will all ne miserable if we don't get what we want. people have learned to live without a lot of things in life and not everyone is miserable.
I agree with most of the things Gilbert said. like when he says that if you get two 50$ gifts that you will be happier than if you get one 100$ dollar gift. I dont believe in a perfect choice nor life because in the end your going to think about your pass and your going to regret some of your choices. For example if you buy a cell phone and you really wanted it for a long time and a couple weeks later you go to the same store and you see other new phones that came out your going to want a new one, or your going to think about returning your phone...so i think it's true that the more choices you have the least happier you are.
i agree with Gilbert, that it does depend on the choices you make in life to make you happy. if you are a type of person who just goes for tha negative things then you will be miserable your whole life. But if your a type of person who always keeps their head up and always goes for positive things, then you will end up happy! So making good choices will always lead you to your happiness or at least a little bit of enjoyment! And i agree with besi, if you at least make bad choices you should learn from it and move on!
I actually agree with all of Gilbert's ideas and I think all of the things the research showed were pretty well known in society. People adapt to the changes their given and either find happiness out of a bad situation or dispare out of a good one, only because your used the good things happening to you. I think this can directly relate to why people have depression and other illnesses when they are used to having everything good and then one bad thing brings them to that point.
After I saw the prodcast of Gulbert's performance aobut the human feeling between happiness and sadness; I hink human is a special animals in the whole world. I think it is pretty interesting to learn more about our feeling. I remember that it mention a person who get a lot of money is as happy as a person who got in a accident. It is the one that got in my heart the most.
Gilbert makes a lot of good points on how happiness can be a big part in life even when we are going through our toughest times. for example, how he said that a man who went to jail for a crime he didn't commit and he came out happy because of the experiences he went through. Sometimes I think that my life couldn't get any worse but then i end up being really happy because of whatever made me sad. his theory really makes me think about how many times i've been sad but turned out happy.
ruthchenry3
i really agreed with Gilbert's idea. A person thinks he's happy with what he chose, but later on regrets it and he thinks that he would be happier if he chose the other. A perfect example of this is teenagers and clothes, they see new styles and brands and they want it, but for most, when they received it, they are not happy with it at all. People should learn to make the right choices, look into the decision and see what they really need
garciaehenry2
i agree with pretty much everyone... Gilbert made sunce when he said ur fist million is more special the ur second. Thats true because it was the first you ever earned and you see it as an accomplishment. It also makes sence how people with money arent always happy, money isnt gonna but you happiness. As everything is handed to them, they dont get to enjoy the obstacles out their.
i agree on what Daniel gilbert said in this article. it's true that we will only be happy when we desire ourselves to be happy i would be happy winning the lottery, but i will also be happy a year after i have had that accident, because looking back i would be happy to have lived from that accident. What he say is true,we don't know what is happy to us and what is not happy to us. Sometimes things that make us happy are the wrong choices we make. i believe that we make poor decisions on what make us happy like Daniel gilbert's said. this article tells me that we can be happy depending on the kind of decision we make and what makes us happy.
uluavelhenry2
I agree with Gilbert and some of the other students who agreed with him too. I believe that everything about us depends on either right choices, or wrong choices. Either way, It'll would lead us to two different paths. I think that our mood sets on how our life would be, such as: if we're happy then we do good things and mostly right choices and basically we feel good. But, if we were in bad mood then problems mmight start or escalade. I believe we should always think before we do it or say it, because not thinking would lead us to either misunderstanding or problems.
macedodhenry3
I think Gilbert is right in nsome way.I think that if you get what u want and that just ment to be,but also some people work really hard for what they want.But also Gilbert is right in a way he say that people make good and bab choice and that makes the out effect of there life but in a way that he says it make it sound good.Also some people just get LUCKY no matter what choice they made in life and that what I think.
WELL, I THINK THAT EVERY PERSON IS DIFFERENT SO I'M NOT REALLY AGREE WITH WHAT DAN GILBERT SAYS.
SOME PEOPLE ARE INSECURE BUT SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT, I MEAN, LIKE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT INSECURE CAN BE HAPPY OF ANYTHING THEY KNOW WILL BE GOOD FOR THEM, ON THE OTHER HAND, INSECURE PEOPLE WILL BE REMINDING OF THEIR MISTAKES OVER AND OVER AGAIN BECAUSE WHAT THEY GOT DOESN'T SATISY THEM ANYMORE.
I have never thought about this before, but it does make sense. In our generation, freedom to make our own choices makes us wonder if we ever made the right choice. I know that if I had to choose between two things, I am always left unsatisfied because I always question my decision. But, if I was only left with one option and never given an oppurtunity to change it, I will feel great because I know I can never change my decision. So, in a way, I kind of have to be satisfied and happy. Our freedom eventually has a role in our unhappiness. I don't think Gilbert was trying to say that we have to make the right decisions to be happy like some of the students are saying, but that we don't know what the right decision is because once we've decided, we never know what life would have been like with the other choice we rejected from the start. So I don't really agree with what everyone else is saying. I did find the film very interesting and wonder what sort of ideas he might come up with to sort of solve the problem and leave everyone happy, or if that is even possible at all.
i agree with what Gilbert said. When i first hear that someone who wins a lottery can be as happy as someone who becomes paraplegic, i was really surprised. But when i really thought about it, it does make sense. You'll learn to live with what you got after a certain period of time and you'll start to realize that happiness is really depends on yourself. And then you'll start to appreciate.
I dont really understand how a handy cap person can be as happy as a millionaire. I think the only reason that the handy cap person is happy is becasue they are grateful they are still alive. Anyone can say that, Happiness is Happiness, you cant compare who is the happier person. We are human, we arnt always happy, we are sometimes sad. I dont know where this is going, but it isnt clear to me.
Everything that Gilbert said about happiness was basically what I already knew growing up. And that is, it doesnt matter the circumstances around you, it all depends on your outlook on life. Like if you dont pay your electricity bill you can say "well at least i get to break out theses candles", and look at it in an optimistic way; or you can look at it in a pesimistic way and cry yourself to sleep until the lights come back on. The key to happiness is basically to look at the glass have full no matter the circumstances. And i guess you could say the key to depression would be looking at the glass half empty.
I agree with Gibert about the whole incorrect prediction of our happiness. I never realized how simple a solution it was to such an essential thin we people yearn for in life. I was thinking long and hard but in the end Gilbert seems to be right about people not being happy because we make the wrong prediction in the now than for the present. Heres the wuote I'm refering to, "Gilbert argues that our inability to make accurate predictions about what will make us happy stems from thought processes that people are more or less stuck with -- our minds are designed to see the world as it is right now, rather than from the point of view of the people we are going to become." After reading this quote is when I agreed,head on, with Gilbert.
I believe what Gilbert says because if u wanna be happy you would do things that make YOU happy no one else. Anyone can make themselfs happy if they wanted to be. People who arnt happy choose not to be happy.
OjakianbHenry2
lopezvhenry2
I thought that all of Gilberts theorys of happiness made sense. Well, they were understandable.
The paragelitic and the lotto winner being equally happy a year after their event was definetley interesting. Being able to think out your situation before you take action is an advantage that humans today have over homosapiens, which is a good thing.
trinidadahenry2
From my personal experiences :I thought that the point of this blog was to understand that it doesn’t matter who your working with or who your colleges may be, because at the end ,the amount of work you produce for your group will earn a grade. You may think that it’s unfair to have people on your team who don‘t do work, but if you do the work for them, the amount of happiness you earn today would be that same amount of happiness if your colleges did help you.
Gilbert came inclusion that “The longings and worries are what we case, when it comes to choosing experiences.” I was think that it mean ,Finding and choosing is the same thing and being happy; happy can be whatever being happy means. Therefore your happiness can be a bad experience, because the lines of fear cannot be changed at that moment. I learned that the mind evolves. The mind makes first impression judges and immediately knows what good or bad; and winning or loosing. The mind knows to pick out the positives. However, the positives can be negative as well. Natural happiness vs. Synthetic happiness . The outcomes concluded to the same level.
i can relate this to Out-of-body experience
i agree with gilbert,the things you do and the choices you make will affect you on the long run,some will make you happy and some will make you unhappy
*chamorroahenry3.
I agree with Gilbert because i believe that people are the only ones who run their lives and feel how ever they want to feel after situations.If you of course make bad decisions then you won't feel so good about. People find happiness on their own personal beliefs.i also agree when he said that people spend a lot of time thinking about happiness than achieving it but i also think that somethings are easier thought about/said then done.
I think that Gilbert made a number of good points including the one about how choices affect your mood. I believe that you can live with basically any situation if you put forth the right attitude and mindset. Obviously that's a hard thing to do and to achieve, but it takes work. I often see how those with money tend to be a bit more sad or upset as opposed to those who aren't as fortunate. It just depends on how you handle the situation and carry yourself throughout.
The blog is now closed for credit to Mrs. Henry's students. Check back soon for this week's entry.
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