Hi everyone, it’s Bond Girl Feisty again (aka: Julie). This time I’ve got an important question for you: Do you know what will make you happy? I bet you think you do. How many times have you said, “I’ll be happy when I get a new job?” Or, “All I need to be happy is a new car to replace this old clunker.” Or, “It would be so fantastic if I won the lottery.”
Pop quiz: which will make you more unhappy, a baseball through your window or a loose handle on your bathroom door? Did you guess the broken window? Dan Gilbert, who’s been studying happiness for decades, wants us to think again.
According to him, most people have a horrible time predicting what will make them happy and unhappy. You can check out a recent article he wrote in the New York Times to find out more. The bad news is that even knowing about how the brain distorts our thinking, it’s very hard to correct for it. The good news is that at least you can be on guard!
For those who like moving pictures instead of static text, you can also check out DanGilbert’s TED talk, which I quite enjoyed.
Good luck, and happy hunting!