Watch the video; it was somewhat misinterpreted in the text.Its not lack of freedom that makes us happy, but lack of WANT. The students in the Harvard experiment did have the freedom to choose which print they wanted, but one group wasn't provided the option of wanting the other one later.In the U.S., we live in a society where we're constantly driven to want stuff, for obvious economic reasons. The percentage of U.S. commercial TV time today spent persuading you to want things has increased considerably in the past couple of decades (not to mention product placements). We've substituted satiation for happiness, and that often just leads to buyers remorse and desire for more, not any long-term happiness. I'm not a big religious person so I don't know the rough timing, but it has occurred to me that it was a very long time ago that someone wrote a prayer that "I shall not want". Its strange that we treat this like some sort of new problem.
We tend to think that getting things such as a job, a new car, winning the lotto is what will make us happy. But he says that studies have shown that we make ourselves happy by imagining that we are happy. So getting what we want doesn’t actually have anything to do with being happy
nastajusOct 8, 2007
there's a poignancy and liveliness to the video that is much more difficult to enjoy than the text. I skipped the text.
bdbrOct 8, 2007
Watch the video; it was somewhat misinterpreted in the text.Its not lack of freedom that makes us happy, but lack of WANT. The students in the Harvard experiment did have the freedom to choose which print they wanted, but one group wasn't provided the option of wanting the other one later.In the U.S., we live in a society where we're constantly driven to want stuff, for obvious economic reasons. The percentage of U.S. commercial TV time today spent persuading you to want things has increased considerably in the past couple of decades (not to mention product placements). We've substituted satiation for happiness, and that often just leads to buyers remorse and desire for more, not any long-term happiness. I'm not a big religious person so I don't know the rough timing, but it has occurred to me that it was a very long time ago that someone wrote a prayer that "I shall not want". Its strange that we treat this like some sort of new problem.
polarbear21Oct 9, 2007
sorry, meant to digg comment but hit bury by mistake (too many choices)
macnyceOct 9, 2007
Great post, but if I synthesize millions of dollars, then I am stuck with too many choices, i can't buy everything, damn you...happiness!!!
Closed AccountOct 9, 2007
We tend to think that getting things such as a job, a new car, winning the lotto is what will make us happy. But he says that studies have shown that we make ourselves happy by imagining that we are happy. So getting what we want doesn’t actually have anything to do with being happy
nonleftistdiggrOct 11, 2007
There ought to be a law against studying psychology and using any form of government assistance after graduating.