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Happiness by Design: Finding Pleasure and Purpose in Everyday Life
This is not just another happiness book. In Happiness by Design, happiness and behavior expert Paul Dolan combines the latest insights from economics and psychology to illustrate that in order to be happy we must behave happy Our happiness is experiences of both pleasure and purpose over time and it depends on what we actually pay attention to. Using what Dolan calls deciding, designing, and doing, we can overcome the biases that make us miserable and redesign our environments to make it easier to experience happiness, fulfilment, and even health. With uncanny wit and keen perception, Dolan reveals what we can do to find our unique optimal balance of pleasure and purpose, offering practical advice on how to organize our lives in happiness-promoting ways and fresh insights into how we feel, including why:
• Having kids reduces pleasure but gives us a massive dose of purpose
• Gaining weight won’t necessarily make us unhappier, but being too ambitious might
• A quiet neighborhood is more important than a big house
Vividly rendering intriguing research and lively anecdotal evidence, Happiness by Design offers an absorbing, thought-provoking, new paradigm for readers of Stumbling on Happiness and The How of Happiness.
• Having kids reduces pleasure but gives us a massive dose of purpose
• Gaining weight won’t necessarily make us unhappier, but being too ambitious might
• A quiet neighborhood is more important than a big house
Vividly rendering intriguing research and lively anecdotal evidence, Happiness by Design offers an absorbing, thought-provoking, new paradigm for readers of Stumbling on Happiness and The How of Happiness.
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First published August 28, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews
January 21, 2015
This is another of those books where I want to rate it five stars and three stars at the same time. So I'll settle for four, as the arithmetic mean.
Happiness by Designs is at turns brilliant and infuriating. Let's do the brilliant stuff first. Paul Dolan clearly knows what he is talking about. He is the self-styled professor of Happy. The book is full of well-evidenced insights into what makes us happy. He doesn't just give us his opinions - he tells us about scientific surveys into happiness.
And while much of it is common sense, there are some light bulb moments (well, there were for me). I had more than one When Harry met Sally moment ... "YES! YES! YES!"
But ... all is not happiness in the reading of this book. For one thing, Paul Dolan gives us rather too much information about his own life. His best friend. The fact that he goes to the gym. He doesn't read novels. And while some of it is relevant and interesting, such as how he has dealt with his stammer, most of it is, frankly, a little bit dull. Is Paul Dolan a particularly happy person that I should model myself on? I don't really know.
Then there's the writing. It's all very nicely edited and grammatical and all that. But there is something dead and lifeless about it. There is a lot of text here. A wall of prose. I yearned for some lists, some bullet points, a few more conclusions, the occasional joke. It's a bit dry.
But the biggest problem is the gap between understanding and doing. He tells us a lot about what makes people happy and then throws out a single sentence or two telling us what we should do about it. If we want a clean house we should invest in lemon-scented air fresheners because people are more likely to keep a house clean if it smells fresh. Then he is bouncing off to the next thing that you should do.
It feels as if there is a gap between his understanding about how people behave and knowing what you should do instead. He is great on the understanding bit, but you can't help feeling that he has little experience of the doing bit. It feels like he is a professional analyser who is trying his hand at giving a bit of slightly amateurish advice.
And that's the funny thing about this book. I can't help feeling that there are some fabulous insights in there. They just need teasing out by someone with more experience in actually doing this stuff. He knows what makes people happy ... he is not so good at knowing how to make people happier.
Perhaps the most telling thing for me is that I intend to read the book again, but this time with a notebook by my side. When he says something relevant to me I am going to write it down and work out for myself what to do about it. Adding in the actions and conclusions that are missing.
All in all, it's a good book. It has lots of insights. It just isn't quite the finished article.
Happiness by Designs is at turns brilliant and infuriating. Let's do the brilliant stuff first. Paul Dolan clearly knows what he is talking about. He is the self-styled professor of Happy. The book is full of well-evidenced insights into what makes us happy. He doesn't just give us his opinions - he tells us about scientific surveys into happiness.
And while much of it is common sense, there are some light bulb moments (well, there were for me). I had more than one When Harry met Sally moment ... "YES! YES! YES!"
But ... all is not happiness in the reading of this book. For one thing, Paul Dolan gives us rather too much information about his own life. His best friend. The fact that he goes to the gym. He doesn't read novels. And while some of it is relevant and interesting, such as how he has dealt with his stammer, most of it is, frankly, a little bit dull. Is Paul Dolan a particularly happy person that I should model myself on? I don't really know.
Then there's the writing. It's all very nicely edited and grammatical and all that. But there is something dead and lifeless about it. There is a lot of text here. A wall of prose. I yearned for some lists, some bullet points, a few more conclusions, the occasional joke. It's a bit dry.
But the biggest problem is the gap between understanding and doing. He tells us a lot about what makes people happy and then throws out a single sentence or two telling us what we should do about it. If we want a clean house we should invest in lemon-scented air fresheners because people are more likely to keep a house clean if it smells fresh. Then he is bouncing off to the next thing that you should do.
It feels as if there is a gap between his understanding about how people behave and knowing what you should do instead. He is great on the understanding bit, but you can't help feeling that he has little experience of the doing bit. It feels like he is a professional analyser who is trying his hand at giving a bit of slightly amateurish advice.
And that's the funny thing about this book. I can't help feeling that there are some fabulous insights in there. They just need teasing out by someone with more experience in actually doing this stuff. He knows what makes people happy ... he is not so good at knowing how to make people happier.
Perhaps the most telling thing for me is that I intend to read the book again, but this time with a notebook by my side. When he says something relevant to me I am going to write it down and work out for myself what to do about it. Adding in the actions and conclusions that are missing.
All in all, it's a good book. It has lots of insights. It just isn't quite the finished article.
November 6, 2014
I read this book because Daniel Kahneman wrote the Introduction, and his Thinking Fast and Slow is my favorite in the field of psychology/behavioral economics/neuroscience. Kahneman's right that Paul Dolan has really advanced their shared field with two insights, but unfortunately as a book Happiness by Design leaves a lot to be desired: Dolan's ideas are easy to grasp, and could have been summarized in a 6 page magazine article (e.g., I could see him writing a piece for The Atlantic that is 3% of the length with 90% of the best content of this book), and his writing is sub-par.
Paul Dolan, the author, is a professor of behavioral science at the London School of Economics, and his research has helped revolutionize the field. He's responsible for a couple significant analytical advancements in the study of humans and our levels of happiness. His definition of happiness is "experiences of pleasure and purpose over time." (3) This parsimonious phrasing of his contains two big ideas.
First, that happiness includes both pleasure and purpose; second, that both pleasure and purpose are feelings that are experienced. The former is important because an exclusive focus on feelings of pleasure distorts inquiries into happiness, for example economists finding (through "experience sampling," i.e. using time diary entries) that new parents are less happy than they were pre-child because they report spending more time doing un-pleasurable things (e.g. changing diapers) than they were previously. Dolan's research shows that it's more complicated than that: while there is less pleasure in new parents' lives, there is also more purpose, and each person's ideal mix of pleasure and purpose is different. This framework help adds nuance to the field, defending it from the charge of hedonism, and strengthens its credibility: by showing through time diaries that people generally find time at work to be purposeful (although not very pleasurable), but not watching TV (vice versa) (28), he can explain why unemployment causes such unhappiness, and the reader has a new two-dimensional lens through which to evaluate activities.
Dolan's second big idea is that purpose, like pleasure, is a feeling, something that happens in real time. Prior to his research, studies measuring purpose almost universally did so using evaluative questions about satisfaction in life, e.g., a UK survey asking "overall how satisfied are you with your life nowadays?" (35) But Dolan adapted the time diary approach used to study pleasure (which would entail something like at the end of the day, having participants fill out an hour-by-hour diary, describing what they were doing and rating each activity from unpleasant to very pleasurable) and incorporated purpose as another variable--this method allows activity-specific analysis, instead of analysis based only on the characteristics of the individuals answering the evaluative question: it allows Dolan et al to study how purposeful people feel while they're doing varied activities as opposed to just how certain people evaluate the (lack of) purpose in their life. (The big winners are time with friends and family, and volunteering, although as mentioned above time working does better than originally thought. (28))
The above are Dolan's big ideas. The rest of the book is him applying the basic principles of his field (e.g., citing Kahneman's work) to his model, which incorporates the above and construes humans as having "a production process" of happiness (47), in which not only do inputs (who you are and what you're doing) matter, but the allocation of your attention during the activity. He discusses, in a Nudge-like way, how to structure your environment to ensure (or at least increase the chances of) your desired outcome, namely increased feelings of pleasure and/or purpose: he tackles e.g., distractions from multi-tasking (people think it makes them more productive; it doesn't, at least when it comes to mixing sudokus and crossword puzzles (156)), procrastinating (time-limited and more concrete goals lead to 25%/30% better performance compared to the same goals but stretched out over a month, instead of weekly (172)), and it's fine, but nothing new.
This is a satisfactory book that would have been a phenomenal magazine article. Unfortunately, had I read such magazine article, I probably would have demanded the author expand on his ideas in a book.
Paul Dolan, the author, is a professor of behavioral science at the London School of Economics, and his research has helped revolutionize the field. He's responsible for a couple significant analytical advancements in the study of humans and our levels of happiness. His definition of happiness is "experiences of pleasure and purpose over time." (3) This parsimonious phrasing of his contains two big ideas.
First, that happiness includes both pleasure and purpose; second, that both pleasure and purpose are feelings that are experienced. The former is important because an exclusive focus on feelings of pleasure distorts inquiries into happiness, for example economists finding (through "experience sampling," i.e. using time diary entries) that new parents are less happy than they were pre-child because they report spending more time doing un-pleasurable things (e.g. changing diapers) than they were previously. Dolan's research shows that it's more complicated than that: while there is less pleasure in new parents' lives, there is also more purpose, and each person's ideal mix of pleasure and purpose is different. This framework help adds nuance to the field, defending it from the charge of hedonism, and strengthens its credibility: by showing through time diaries that people generally find time at work to be purposeful (although not very pleasurable), but not watching TV (vice versa) (28), he can explain why unemployment causes such unhappiness, and the reader has a new two-dimensional lens through which to evaluate activities.
Dolan's second big idea is that purpose, like pleasure, is a feeling, something that happens in real time. Prior to his research, studies measuring purpose almost universally did so using evaluative questions about satisfaction in life, e.g., a UK survey asking "overall how satisfied are you with your life nowadays?" (35) But Dolan adapted the time diary approach used to study pleasure (which would entail something like at the end of the day, having participants fill out an hour-by-hour diary, describing what they were doing and rating each activity from unpleasant to very pleasurable) and incorporated purpose as another variable--this method allows activity-specific analysis, instead of analysis based only on the characteristics of the individuals answering the evaluative question: it allows Dolan et al to study how purposeful people feel while they're doing varied activities as opposed to just how certain people evaluate the (lack of) purpose in their life. (The big winners are time with friends and family, and volunteering, although as mentioned above time working does better than originally thought. (28))
The above are Dolan's big ideas. The rest of the book is him applying the basic principles of his field (e.g., citing Kahneman's work) to his model, which incorporates the above and construes humans as having "a production process" of happiness (47), in which not only do inputs (who you are and what you're doing) matter, but the allocation of your attention during the activity. He discusses, in a Nudge-like way, how to structure your environment to ensure (or at least increase the chances of) your desired outcome, namely increased feelings of pleasure and/or purpose: he tackles e.g., distractions from multi-tasking (people think it makes them more productive; it doesn't, at least when it comes to mixing sudokus and crossword puzzles (156)), procrastinating (time-limited and more concrete goals lead to 25%/30% better performance compared to the same goals but stretched out over a month, instead of weekly (172)), and it's fine, but nothing new.
This is a satisfactory book that would have been a phenomenal magazine article. Unfortunately, had I read such magazine article, I probably would have demanded the author expand on his ideas in a book.
June 13, 2015
Professor Paul Donan’s definition of happiness is: experiences of pleasure and purpose over time.
The reader is informed firstly,
that to be truly happy, then you need to feel both pleasure and purpose. You can be just as happy or sad as I am but with very different combinations of pleasure and purpose. And you may require each to different degrees at different times. But you do need to feel both. I call this the pleasure-purpose principle – the PPP.
So armed with this principle you are evidently on the right track to achieve happiness. Many examples are cited, some personal, some from friends and others from the literature.
And secondly, with regard to restructuring time,
To aid salience, you could consider writing a diary for your happiness by completing a day reconstruction method (DRM).
This consists of headings of episodes, time it began, time it ended, what were you doing, who were you with, pleasure (0-10), purpose (0-10). I’m not too sure about that.
Donan draws on meditation, which I go along with completely, mistaken beliefs/desires/projections, etc. but all in all I really don't know what possessed me to buy this book. I actually found it rather long-winded and I’m sure that it could have been written with about a fifty percent in the reduction of words.
Can one truly make a definition on happiness and how to manage it? Of course, one cannot, unless you are perhaps clinically depressed and there is no other option but to try and survive and be happy on this planet.
I'm happy most of the time and yes I do indeed have my down times but when I need this type of guidance, I will go and look for someone who can help me. But then again who can possibly help me if I cannot help myself?
I did enjoy Professor Donan's book from a practical as well as a theoretical point of view but happiness, as I well know, is a very elusive quality and only comes when you are content and happy within your own psyche. I have lost mine temporarily but I'm sure that it will return...It just needs to be given a push and in the right direction too.
The reader is informed firstly,
that to be truly happy, then you need to feel both pleasure and purpose. You can be just as happy or sad as I am but with very different combinations of pleasure and purpose. And you may require each to different degrees at different times. But you do need to feel both. I call this the pleasure-purpose principle – the PPP.
So armed with this principle you are evidently on the right track to achieve happiness. Many examples are cited, some personal, some from friends and others from the literature.
And secondly, with regard to restructuring time,
To aid salience, you could consider writing a diary for your happiness by completing a day reconstruction method (DRM).
This consists of headings of episodes, time it began, time it ended, what were you doing, who were you with, pleasure (0-10), purpose (0-10). I’m not too sure about that.
Donan draws on meditation, which I go along with completely, mistaken beliefs/desires/projections, etc. but all in all I really don't know what possessed me to buy this book. I actually found it rather long-winded and I’m sure that it could have been written with about a fifty percent in the reduction of words.
Can one truly make a definition on happiness and how to manage it? Of course, one cannot, unless you are perhaps clinically depressed and there is no other option but to try and survive and be happy on this planet.
I'm happy most of the time and yes I do indeed have my down times but when I need this type of guidance, I will go and look for someone who can help me. But then again who can possibly help me if I cannot help myself?
I did enjoy Professor Donan's book from a practical as well as a theoretical point of view but happiness, as I well know, is a very elusive quality and only comes when you are content and happy within your own psyche. I have lost mine temporarily but I'm sure that it will return...It just needs to be given a push and in the right direction too.
February 9, 2021
Not a bad book, but at the end of it, I couldn't quite say I learnt anything new, which probably it's not the author's fault.
It's the kind of book I was enjoying listening to it, agreeing with what Dolan was saying, but after a few hrs of finishing it I couldn't tell you what I learnt.
Arguably, this kind of books should be consumed in print rather than in audio format.
It's the kind of book I was enjoying listening to it, agreeing with what Dolan was saying, but after a few hrs of finishing it I couldn't tell you what I learnt.
Arguably, this kind of books should be consumed in print rather than in audio format.
November 1, 2015
Confessing you are reading a book on happiness is hard. It kind of makes you to confess you are depressed and unhappy looking to be rescued from your misery.I have to admit I was even hiding the cover of the book myself while reading in public places :-) I believe this has to do with the rather negative connotation books on happiness have (and not without a reason). But, as being reminded one more time in ‘Happiness by Design’ you live with yourself forever, so it makes sense investing time in learning more on how to be happy. Even though the book has loads of references to academic research, it is structured in a way that you just follow the story. You can see the logic the author has behind presenting the content pieces one after the other avoiding repetitions. The book caught my attending from the first lines by talking about how purpose (not simply pleasure) contributes to happiness. I, the same as the author, hate the pressure to have fun. I gain much more happiness by dedicating myself to experiences that have purpose for me Vs leisure activities like collecting stamps or visiting karaoke. Purpose and pleasure are both basic constitutes of happiness. You are happiest when you have a balance between pleasure and purpose that works best for you. I like how the author talks about the importance of what we pay attention to and that often it is not about having, but making time for things that make you happy. It is, indeed, for us to decide what we surround us with, what people we let to me a part of our lives and what impact this has on us being happy. At the end of the day it is truly all about how happy one is. The last part of the book offers a lot of practical advice on how go design your life to be happier and also distribute happiness. Important points - don’t try to hard and don’t overthink :-)
May 8, 2015
We are promised that many things have the possibility of making us happy, more money, children, friends, experiences and so on, and they have been countless books written claiming to have the secret of happiness wrapped within the covers. But in this book Dolan has looked at the things that make us happy from a scientific and behavioural economics perspective. It has been proven many times that material possessions up to a certain point have very little effect on you happiness state.
He defines happiness as ' experiences of pleasure and purpose over time'; with his primary idea being that purpose is itself a feeling. To get a higher level of happiness, you would need to get the balance pleasure and purpose just right. Most people take little pleasure in work, but do find it has a purpose, whereas TV can be pleasurable, but is rarely purposeful. The activities that people considered made them most happy were time spent with others and and working as a volunteer.
It did make for interesting reading, and he does expand his (and Daniel Kahneman's) ideas into a readable book. But overall it does feel a little two dimensional, and doesn't seem to have a huge amount of depth. Shame really, because i think that the principles he outlines are along the right lines.
He defines happiness as ' experiences of pleasure and purpose over time'; with his primary idea being that purpose is itself a feeling. To get a higher level of happiness, you would need to get the balance pleasure and purpose just right. Most people take little pleasure in work, but do find it has a purpose, whereas TV can be pleasurable, but is rarely purposeful. The activities that people considered made them most happy were time spent with others and and working as a volunteer.
It did make for interesting reading, and he does expand his (and Daniel Kahneman's) ideas into a readable book. But overall it does feel a little two dimensional, and doesn't seem to have a huge amount of depth. Shame really, because i think that the principles he outlines are along the right lines.
March 10, 2020
يقدم بول دولان ��ي كتابه نظرة يزعم جِدَّتَها بين كتب السعادة التي يغص بها السوق. ويرى الاقتصادي ودارس علم النفس والباحث البريطاني المخضرم أن مجالي الاقتصاد وعلم النفس يقفان جنبا إلى جنب في تعريف السعادة ومحاولة الوصول إليها ليعطيا هذه النظرة الجديدة بزعمه. فهي _بتصرف_: "مَشَاعرُ المُتعَةِ وَالْمَعْنَى عَلى امْتِدَادِ الزَّمَن". وذلك بخلاف ما تصفه استطلاعات الآراء بأنه مشاعر آنية للرضا عن الحياة بكل مجالاتها.
ينطلق بنا بول بعدئذٍ في محاولة للوصول نحو السعادة بتحليل العقبات في طريقها، فيرصد ثلاثة أخطاء يقع فيها الناس وهي: الرغبات والإسقاطات والعقائد الخاطئة بشأن ما فيه سعادتنا.
ثم هو يسود الصفحات في تقديم صيغة للوصول نحو السعادة بتحديد كل فرد منا حيث يؤكد أن ليس من قالب واحد لها. وتلك الصيغة هي: اتخاذ قرار السعادة، وتصميمها، ثم فعلها.
في خضم كل ذلك، يسوق لنا صاحبنا كما لا بأس به من الدراسات التي اضطلع بها مع زملائه أو قرأها ليثبت كل ما جاء به، وكاد الكتاب ليكون محكماً كله لولا أنه يقف بتواضع في الجملة الأخيرة من كل مقطع ليقرر أن في الأمر سعة وأن هاته الدراسات ليست منتهى المراد من رب العباد.
في الكتاب نغمة طريفة، وأسلوب سهل وعمل مشكور.
كما أنه لم يحشر صفحاته بكل الدراسات على التفصيل ولكنه يشير إليها في مؤخرة الكتاب للاستزادة.
يحتاج الكتاب قراءة واحدة لإنهائه في زمن يسير، ولكن موضوعه هو موضوع العمر وشأنه هو شأن الحياة بطولها.
ينطلق بنا بول بعدئذٍ في محاولة للوصول نحو السعادة بتحليل العقبات في طريقها، فيرصد ثلاثة أخطاء يقع فيها الناس وهي: الرغبات والإسقاطات والعقائد الخاطئة بشأن ما فيه سعادتنا.
ثم هو يسود الصفحات في تقديم صيغة للوصول نحو السعادة بتحديد كل فرد منا حيث يؤكد أن ليس من قالب واحد لها. وتلك الصيغة هي: اتخاذ قرار السعادة، وتصميمها، ثم فعلها.
في خضم كل ذلك، يسوق لنا صاحبنا كما لا بأس به من الدراسات التي اضطلع بها مع زملائه أو قرأها ليثبت كل ما جاء به، وكاد الكتاب ليكون محكماً كله لولا أنه يقف بتواضع في الجملة الأخيرة من كل مقطع ليقرر أن في الأمر سعة وأن هاته الدراسات ليست منتهى المراد من رب العباد.
في الكتاب نغمة طريفة، وأسلوب سهل وعمل مشكور.
كما أنه لم يحشر صفحاته بكل الدراسات على التفصيل ولكنه يشير إليها في مؤخرة الكتاب للاستزادة.
يحتاج الكتاب قراءة واحدة لإنهائه في زمن يسير، ولكن موضوعه هو موضوع العمر وشأنه هو شأن الحياة بطولها.
January 31, 2021
Happiness by Design is a recommended pre-read for MSc. Behavioural Science at LSE, maybe more so because Paul Dolan is the head of the department. But this book is such an incredible disappointment!
It offers very few insights:
- Every moment involves a pleasure-purpose tradeoff, which then determines our happiness. Pleasure and purpose, although substitutes in a given moment, may act as complements over time.
- Moving on is easier when we can rationalise an experience. Think basis an AREA model.
A: Attention
R: React
E: Explain
A: Adapt
Moreover, some points seem absurd. Dolan mentions that people tend to focus more on the sales price and ignore the shipping costs. My experience with e-commerce, and discussions with other entrepreneurs, involve the opposite conclusion. And the author discusses distraction (or attentional) costs of multi-tasking, however what about the distraction costs in his proposition of shifting between pleasure & purpose tasks which he believes would maximise happiness?
For an author who wrote quite elaborately about the perils of distraction, he seems to have not taken his own advice. The book is a seemingly rushed attempt, almost like a graduate trying to complete a thesis last minute. I expected a lot more from the creator of the MINDSPACE framework and the collaborator of Daniel Kahneman. This isn’t worth your time.
It offers very few insights:
- Every moment involves a pleasure-purpose tradeoff, which then determines our happiness. Pleasure and purpose, although substitutes in a given moment, may act as complements over time.
- Moving on is easier when we can rationalise an experience. Think basis an AREA model.
A: Attention
R: React
E: Explain
A: Adapt
Moreover, some points seem absurd. Dolan mentions that people tend to focus more on the sales price and ignore the shipping costs. My experience with e-commerce, and discussions with other entrepreneurs, involve the opposite conclusion. And the author discusses distraction (or attentional) costs of multi-tasking, however what about the distraction costs in his proposition of shifting between pleasure & purpose tasks which he believes would maximise happiness?
For an author who wrote quite elaborately about the perils of distraction, he seems to have not taken his own advice. The book is a seemingly rushed attempt, almost like a graduate trying to complete a thesis last minute. I expected a lot more from the creator of the MINDSPACE framework and the collaborator of Daniel Kahneman. This isn’t worth your time.
January 9, 2019
This book is very good and actually deserves more than a 4 star - maybe 4.25 or so. It tells the story of research done by the author and several collaborators on happiness, as well as aligned research. It tells you how to design, decide and do happiness and it does that well.
The best part of this book? It’s exquisite definition of happiness - it’s that glorious mix between pleasure and purpose.
It is a bit academic some times, and has transitions between paragraphs that are, at times, stilted.
I very much like how the book starts, in talking about the author’s stammering problems, it’s authentic, vulnerable and real.
If you know allot about how the mind works - like the primacy and recency effect, then this book might be a bit repetitive.
The best part of this book? It’s exquisite definition of happiness - it’s that glorious mix between pleasure and purpose.
It is a bit academic some times, and has transitions between paragraphs that are, at times, stilted.
I very much like how the book starts, in talking about the author’s stammering problems, it’s authentic, vulnerable and real.
If you know allot about how the mind works - like the primacy and recency effect, then this book might be a bit repetitive.
March 10, 2017
This book made me realize a lot of things ! Reading it brought both pleasure and purpose to my experiencing self ..!
April 9, 2018
I have slightly mixed feelings about ‘Happiness By Design’. On the one hand, it treats happiness as a commodity in a reductive and depressingly neoliberal manner. On the other hand, its suggestions are extremely sensible and consistent with my own efforts at stress management. An example of the former: ‘Once we accept that the experience of happiness (for yourself and others) is the final arbiter of the rightness of what you do, we can move away from making moral judgements based on ill-conceived ideas about what is right and wrong.’ This incredible statement relies on there never being trade-offs between the happiness of different people or groups of people. To be fair, this is not a book of moral philosophy. I would situate it firmly in behavioural economics, although to its credit the limitations of the field are acknowledged. The tone is of an accessible self-help book that cites academic research, which explains why I was recommended it by a friend who doesn’t usually read non-fiction.
I found the combination of the pleasure/suffering and purpose/pointlessness axes useful, although there ought to have been some acknowledgement of structural and institutional factors that can place limits on both. The advice to consciously choose where to direct your attention, set up habits, do things you actually enjoy, care for others, listen to music, and keep up with friends is really great. I’m less convinced about ‘trying new things’, but liked the frequent reminders that chasing wealth, income, and material goods is not as rewarding as you might expect. The discussion of how entrenched habits can be, and how we rationalise them ex post, is certainly backed up by academic work on car dependence. Habitual drivers may not enjoy driving at all, but they generally claim it is the quickest, cheapest, and most pleasant way to travel even when this is actually not the case.
As for my own application of these principles, since the new year I’ve been consciously reducing the amount of time and attention I devote to the internet in general and online news in particular. So I’ve stopped using a smart phone (which I hated), started taking one completely internet-free day a week, and firmly classified current affairs as work and social media as leisure. So I only read the (work-relevant) news during workdays, avoiding it entirely in the evenings and at weekends. I don’t check social media or personal emails during workdays, unless I’m working at home. As a result, I’m calmer, less inclined to procrastinate, and have more time to read books, something that brings me both pleasure and a sense of purpose. 'Happiness by Design' did remind me, though, that a longer term goal is to get a job that allows me to cycle to work. The bus is pretty relaxing, but in the past I found a cycle commute much better for fitness and general well-being. Dolan's systematic approach to identifying behaviours to change will be familiar to anyone who has had CBT, and potentially helpful to anyone who wants to make improvements to their life. Just don’t expect it to explain why capitalism is stealing your sleep; for that I recommend 24/7: Late Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep.
I found the combination of the pleasure/suffering and purpose/pointlessness axes useful, although there ought to have been some acknowledgement of structural and institutional factors that can place limits on both. The advice to consciously choose where to direct your attention, set up habits, do things you actually enjoy, care for others, listen to music, and keep up with friends is really great. I’m less convinced about ‘trying new things’, but liked the frequent reminders that chasing wealth, income, and material goods is not as rewarding as you might expect. The discussion of how entrenched habits can be, and how we rationalise them ex post, is certainly backed up by academic work on car dependence. Habitual drivers may not enjoy driving at all, but they generally claim it is the quickest, cheapest, and most pleasant way to travel even when this is actually not the case.
As for my own application of these principles, since the new year I’ve been consciously reducing the amount of time and attention I devote to the internet in general and online news in particular. So I’ve stopped using a smart phone (which I hated), started taking one completely internet-free day a week, and firmly classified current affairs as work and social media as leisure. So I only read the (work-relevant) news during workdays, avoiding it entirely in the evenings and at weekends. I don’t check social media or personal emails during workdays, unless I’m working at home. As a result, I’m calmer, less inclined to procrastinate, and have more time to read books, something that brings me both pleasure and a sense of purpose. 'Happiness by Design' did remind me, though, that a longer term goal is to get a job that allows me to cycle to work. The bus is pretty relaxing, but in the past I found a cycle commute much better for fitness and general well-being. Dolan's systematic approach to identifying behaviours to change will be familiar to anyone who has had CBT, and potentially helpful to anyone who wants to make improvements to their life. Just don’t expect it to explain why capitalism is stealing your sleep; for that I recommend 24/7: Late Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep.
June 29, 2020
A very easy read, but nearly completely devoid of joy. There are two main currents in Dolan's book. The first is his own life: getting over his stammer, going to the gym, hanging out with his mate Mig in Ibiza, loving his family. The second is the large number of studies he uses to give his mundane recommendations some academic weight.
Let's forgive the former and focus on the latter. The majority of the book is a list of basic concepts and commonly-known studies in behavioural economics, linked retrospectively to the concept of happiness. Disappointingly, but not uncommonly for these types of books, Dolan seems less interested in what these studies tell us about happiness, and more interested in what they tell us about research methods themselves.
That is not to say that the book isn't interesting in parts. Dolan describes happiness in terms of a pleasure-purpose principle, in which one derives happiness based on different proportions of these two factors. On top of this, he stresses the relevance of attention. Something is pleasurable and purposeful (or horrible and miserable) only for as long as we pay attention to it. Thus he considers attention in terms of the allocation of a scare resource, albeit one that is constantly pulled around unconsciously by specific contexts. There are nuggets of insight, and hints of helpful approaches, but they are few and far between.
Dolan's conception of the mind relies heavily on his buddy Daniel Kahnemann's system 1–system 2 model from Thinking Fast And Slow. And if this book holds any value, it's in the fact that it might point readers towards that more substantial work. By the end, all we are left with are some ordinary recommendations like: stop procrastinating, listen to music, spend more time with people you like. And even then, Dolan takes 130 pages to arrive at these few hacks, which are the only things remotely resembling the 'Happiness by Design' sold by the title.
The book leaves an impression of either sloppiness, laziness or ineptitude, no matter how many studies Dolan and his researchers repurpose in their attempt to demonstrate the contrary. "Everything except happiness requires some justification or other: it is just obvious that happiness matters." I suppose we'll take your word for it, mate.
Let's forgive the former and focus on the latter. The majority of the book is a list of basic concepts and commonly-known studies in behavioural economics, linked retrospectively to the concept of happiness. Disappointingly, but not uncommonly for these types of books, Dolan seems less interested in what these studies tell us about happiness, and more interested in what they tell us about research methods themselves.
That is not to say that the book isn't interesting in parts. Dolan describes happiness in terms of a pleasure-purpose principle, in which one derives happiness based on different proportions of these two factors. On top of this, he stresses the relevance of attention. Something is pleasurable and purposeful (or horrible and miserable) only for as long as we pay attention to it. Thus he considers attention in terms of the allocation of a scare resource, albeit one that is constantly pulled around unconsciously by specific contexts. There are nuggets of insight, and hints of helpful approaches, but they are few and far between.
Dolan's conception of the mind relies heavily on his buddy Daniel Kahnemann's system 1–system 2 model from Thinking Fast And Slow. And if this book holds any value, it's in the fact that it might point readers towards that more substantial work. By the end, all we are left with are some ordinary recommendations like: stop procrastinating, listen to music, spend more time with people you like. And even then, Dolan takes 130 pages to arrive at these few hacks, which are the only things remotely resembling the 'Happiness by Design' sold by the title.
The book leaves an impression of either sloppiness, laziness or ineptitude, no matter how many studies Dolan and his researchers repurpose in their attempt to demonstrate the contrary. "Everything except happiness requires some justification or other: it is just obvious that happiness matters." I suppose we'll take your word for it, mate.
February 23, 2017
With my very basic knowledge of social psychology, I didn't learn anything new and useful from Happiness by Design.
This book describes the results of some surveys on happiness comprehensively, as if in a scientific article. It talks about many social psychology experiments and terms that have no direct relation to the main premise of the book and gives very obvious advice on how to be happier. It is unnecessarily long and the writing is average.
The novel premises that the author brings (allocation of attention; attaining pleasure and purpose via real-time activities) doesn't feel like novelty. We know most of this stuff from playing Sims anyway. This part as a small example: "Adaptation is explained by withdrawal of attention to inputs as their impact on happiness diminishes. The novelty of a new stimulus attracts your attention, but when you get used to it you stop focusing so much attention to it." p86
Duh. Schopenhauer already explained concepts of attention to happiness and pain and adaptation to it -with normal person words- 200 years ago: "All satisfaction, or what is commonly called happiness, is really and essentially always negative only, and never positive. It is not a gratification which comes to us originally and of itself, but it must always be the satisfaction of a wish. For desire, that is to say, want [or will], is the precedent condition of every pleasure; but with the satisfaction, the desire and therefore the pleasure cease; and so the satisfaction or gratification can never be more than deliverance from a pain, from a want." p 319, The World as Will and Representation
All in all I don't feel that all those surveys and experiments are getting close to giving a true representation of what happiness is and how we can attain it at an individual level. I don't mean to be disrespectful. The findings are valuable as scientific research. But to random person like me it's redundant.
This book describes the results of some surveys on happiness comprehensively, as if in a scientific article. It talks about many social psychology experiments and terms that have no direct relation to the main premise of the book and gives very obvious advice on how to be happier. It is unnecessarily long and the writing is average.
The novel premises that the author brings (allocation of attention; attaining pleasure and purpose via real-time activities) doesn't feel like novelty. We know most of this stuff from playing Sims anyway. This part as a small example: "Adaptation is explained by withdrawal of attention to inputs as their impact on happiness diminishes. The novelty of a new stimulus attracts your attention, but when you get used to it you stop focusing so much attention to it." p86
Duh. Schopenhauer already explained concepts of attention to happiness and pain and adaptation to it -with normal person words- 200 years ago: "All satisfaction, or what is commonly called happiness, is really and essentially always negative only, and never positive. It is not a gratification which comes to us originally and of itself, but it must always be the satisfaction of a wish. For desire, that is to say, want [or will], is the precedent condition of every pleasure; but with the satisfaction, the desire and therefore the pleasure cease; and so the satisfaction or gratification can never be more than deliverance from a pain, from a want." p 319, The World as Will and Representation
All in all I don't feel that all those surveys and experiments are getting close to giving a true representation of what happiness is and how we can attain it at an individual level. I don't mean to be disrespectful. The findings are valuable as scientific research. But to random person like me it's redundant.
August 17, 2014
This is a different book from the norm which explains about pleasure and purpose in our everyday life and that by changing your behaviour can improve the happiness in your life. By understanding human behaviour why your actions, what motivates you and the feed back you get can affect your actions . Once you find out what makes you happy you have to keep doing it for self esteem, self confidence , its about changes and the way you think. You really have to experience the changes.
July 27, 2015
I seem to be doing everything suggested in the book, shame it took me 45 years to work it out. Save time and read this book!
May 12, 2021
With a foreword by my boy Danny K, I thought I was in for a winner with this audiobook.
Actually while there were definitely some good takeaways and things that I will remember, I fundamentally disagreed with Paul's conception of happiness.
He boils it down to sentiments of pleasure + purpose.
While that's better than just looking at pleasure it still seems wrong for a few reasons:
- Purpose is here basically whenever people recount feelings of purposefulness. This seems to make 2 mistakes, one being that it's not clear purpose is a feeling/sentiment in the way pleasure is (and even then it's not as simple as people think) and secondly that this makes it agnostic about what one can feel purposeful about. In reality there just is more purpose in developing vaccines than in counting blades of grass and Paul's theory can't account for this. The fundamental issue then is it lakes the Aristotelian connection to the good life and to virtue.
- There is also an accounting-type view of happiness whereby it makes the goal to have as much in the positive column and as little in the negative as possible. Again this seems mistaken, because happiness isn't about counting numbers. And whenever people think it is there are really bad consequences (i.e. not thinking old people's lives are worth living, late termination solely due to disabilities, etc.)
Anyway all this was summed up when Paul seemed happy to jump into the experience machine. Red flag.
That being said some of the behavioural change stuff was actually v good but I found it hard to get past the theoretical point.
Actually while there were definitely some good takeaways and things that I will remember, I fundamentally disagreed with Paul's conception of happiness.
He boils it down to sentiments of pleasure + purpose.
While that's better than just looking at pleasure it still seems wrong for a few reasons:
- Purpose is here basically whenever people recount feelings of purposefulness. This seems to make 2 mistakes, one being that it's not clear purpose is a feeling/sentiment in the way pleasure is (and even then it's not as simple as people think) and secondly that this makes it agnostic about what one can feel purposeful about. In reality there just is more purpose in developing vaccines than in counting blades of grass and Paul's theory can't account for this. The fundamental issue then is it lakes the Aristotelian connection to the good life and to virtue.
- There is also an accounting-type view of happiness whereby it makes the goal to have as much in the positive column and as little in the negative as possible. Again this seems mistaken, because happiness isn't about counting numbers. And whenever people think it is there are really bad consequences (i.e. not thinking old people's lives are worth living, late termination solely due to disabilities, etc.)
Anyway all this was summed up when Paul seemed happy to jump into the experience machine. Red flag.
That being said some of the behavioural change stuff was actually v good but I found it hard to get past the theoretical point.
August 28, 2016
Um dos principais temas da atualidade é a felicidade. Meio que nem fome zero ou qualidade total (ninguém é contra e todos desejam) mas poucas pessoas conseguem definir o conceito, e mais importante, como isso pode se aplicar na vida prática delas. Digo isso porque é muito fácil você encontrar textos com fórmulas mágicas, não quantos passos para alcançar a felicidade e todo este blá blá blá que tem por aí, mas escritos por maníacos depressivos ou gente bem frustrada com sua própria vida, (é só prestar atenção na série dos textos) publicados na internet ou em colunas de revistas. Dificílimo definir este conceito em um aspecto geral que seja aplicável.
Paul Dolan consegue.
Como um bom cientista aplicado ele, através de uma extensa pesquisa científica, ora sozinho, ora com colaboradores (parte da pesquisa foi desenvolvida com ninguém menos que Daniel Khaneman) consegue definir o conceito de felicidade de forma simples e aplicável ao dia a dia das pessoas. E esta talvez seja a melhor parte do livro. Ele é claro, didático e não fica tentando enfiar um objeto cilíndrico em um buraco quadrado, como muitos acadêmicos de excelência o fazem quando desejam traspor suas pesquisas para o mundo real.
A ideia principal do livro é que a felicidade pode ser definida como uma combinação entre senso de propósito e experiências felizes. Simples não? Na verdade, longe de ser. Deixe-me eu tentar resumir o assunto, correndo o risco de simplificar demais o excelente trabalho de Donovan.
Experiências felizes são momentos em que as pessoas conseguem encontrar a felicidade em eventos que lhes trazem prazer. Beber algo que gostam, estar na presença de quem gostam, viajar, comer ou assistir a um filme que você goste muito. São momentos felizes, ou como o autor chama, “máquinas” de obter prazer. Favor não confundir com objetos que vibram, ok?
E qual o problema com estes momentos? São momentos. Eles passam. E a medida que são repetidos, o princípio da utilidade marginal se manifesta. Ao repetir uma experiência prazerosa, ela já não gera o mesmo nível de utilidade seguidamente, a não ser que seja em intervalos bastante grandes de tempo. Mas as pessoas não conseguem ficar sem o prazer, e passam a procurar cada vez mais experiências seguidas com as suas máquinas de prazer. No limite, algumas tornam-se hedonistas compulsivos, mas eternamente insatisfeitos. Se ficou muito abstrato, pense em um consumista compulsivo que sempre compra algo diferente, porque o ato da compra lhe dá prazer, mas que já está com cartão de crédito totalmente estourado. Todo mundo conhece alguém assim.
Já o senso de propósito refere-se à felicidade de longo prazo. Por exemplo, ter tempo para criar filhos e ter certeza de que sua influência sobre eles é positiva. Construir algo perene, ou simplesmente ter a sensação que se está produzindo algo de longo prazo e que gera impactos sobre pessoas ou sobre a sociedade, por exemplo. Isto é senso de propósito.
A combinação entre ambos ao longo do tempo é, na visão de Dolan, o que gera felicidade. Apenas a máquina de prazer ou apenas o senso de propósito não conseguem proporcionar a chamada felicidade. A combinação de ambos, sim.
Deixe-me dar um exemplo. Um milionário consegue todas as experiências de prazer que deseja, quase sempre quando deseja. Uma viagem exótica, um novo carro, uma conquista amorosa-sexual, etc... mas então porque encontramos inúmeros casos de gente que tem tudo, mas não consegue livrar-se dos antidepressivos e remédios para dormir? Ou de pessoas que são aparentemente bem-sucedidas, mas de uma hora para outra largam tudo e saem em viagens de autodescoberta? Para não falar coisa pior...
Por outro lado, pense em uma pessoa que tem um trabalho ou com um forte senso de propósito, que sabe que está fazendo algo importante. Um colega de trabalho, um amigo, alguém com fortes crenças religiosas, mas que são pessoas que só fazem isso. E todos são muito chatos. Acho que todo mundo conhece alguém que fica repetindo o tempo inteiro que o que faz é muito importante, não se diverte, não conta piada, não ri de si, e fica indignado quando os outros não o vem com a mesma seriedade que atribui a si mesmo. Esse o ser que tem apenas senso de propósito, mas não consegue ter felicidade porque, embora ache que o que faz é muito importante, não possui momentos com suas máquinas de prazer.
E neste ponto é que a pesquisa de Dolan faz a diferença. Apenas experiências de prazer sem senso de propósito não conseguem gerar felicidade. Apenas senso de propósito, sem prazer, também não consegue gerar felicidade. Dolan demonstra que a felicidade – cientificamente falando – depende da combinação entre estes dois elementos ao longo do tempo, como uma espécie de trade-off (troca compensatória em uma tradução rasa) distribuído no tempo.
As vezes precisamos de mais prazer, e vamos beber com amigos, visitar os pais, passar horas com gente que você gosta e que gosta de você de maneira sincera. Também paramos o que estamos fazendo para ver um filme, um livro, ou um programa que julgamos engraçado. Em outros momentos precisamos ter a certeza (ou uma forte sensação) de que o que fazemos é importante para nós, ou para outras pessoas e, sobretudo, há um propósito. Criar filhos, serviço voluntário, uma pesquisa acadêmica que vai mudar o mundo, ou até um aplicativo que – pretensamente – vai acabar com umas 10 doenças tropicais, ou simplesmente ajudar alguém. A certeza de que fazemos parte disso, nos gera sendo de propósito.
A ideia é incrivelmente simples, mas poderosa.
O livro é desenvolvido sobre uma série de exemplos práticos aplicados ao cotidiano das pessoas. Talvez um dos maiores talentos do autor seja, explicar complexas teorias comportamentais com exemplos bastante simples e que qualquer pessoa pode se identificar.
A tese sobre alocação da atenção é sensacional. É uma ótima explicação científica e bem fundamentada do conceito de que as coisas são exatamente do tamanho que atribuímos a elas. Se tivemos uma frustração e escolhemos torná-la o centro de nossa atenção, ficamos menos felizes. Se fazemos o contrário, a probabilidade de ser mais feliz é elevada. E tudo isso muito bem explicado com pesquisas e exemplos.
Poderia afirmar, sem nenhuma dúvida, que foi o livro mais bacana que terminei este ano.
Se me permitem recomendo a leitura para todos.
Paul Dolan consegue.
Como um bom cientista aplicado ele, através de uma extensa pesquisa científica, ora sozinho, ora com colaboradores (parte da pesquisa foi desenvolvida com ninguém menos que Daniel Khaneman) consegue definir o conceito de felicidade de forma simples e aplicável ao dia a dia das pessoas. E esta talvez seja a melhor parte do livro. Ele é claro, didático e não fica tentando enfiar um objeto cilíndrico em um buraco quadrado, como muitos acadêmicos de excelência o fazem quando desejam traspor suas pesquisas para o mundo real.
A ideia principal do livro é que a felicidade pode ser definida como uma combinação entre senso de propósito e experiências felizes. Simples não? Na verdade, longe de ser. Deixe-me eu tentar resumir o assunto, correndo o risco de simplificar demais o excelente trabalho de Donovan.
Experiências felizes são momentos em que as pessoas conseguem encontrar a felicidade em eventos que lhes trazem prazer. Beber algo que gostam, estar na presença de quem gostam, viajar, comer ou assistir a um filme que você goste muito. São momentos felizes, ou como o autor chama, “máquinas” de obter prazer. Favor não confundir com objetos que vibram, ok?
E qual o problema com estes momentos? São momentos. Eles passam. E a medida que são repetidos, o princípio da utilidade marginal se manifesta. Ao repetir uma experiência prazerosa, ela já não gera o mesmo nível de utilidade seguidamente, a não ser que seja em intervalos bastante grandes de tempo. Mas as pessoas não conseguem ficar sem o prazer, e passam a procurar cada vez mais experiências seguidas com as suas máquinas de prazer. No limite, algumas tornam-se hedonistas compulsivos, mas eternamente insatisfeitos. Se ficou muito abstrato, pense em um consumista compulsivo que sempre compra algo diferente, porque o ato da compra lhe dá prazer, mas que já está com cartão de crédito totalmente estourado. Todo mundo conhece alguém assim.
Já o senso de propósito refere-se à felicidade de longo prazo. Por exemplo, ter tempo para criar filhos e ter certeza de que sua influência sobre eles é positiva. Construir algo perene, ou simplesmente ter a sensação que se está produzindo algo de longo prazo e que gera impactos sobre pessoas ou sobre a sociedade, por exemplo. Isto é senso de propósito.
A combinação entre ambos ao longo do tempo é, na visão de Dolan, o que gera felicidade. Apenas a máquina de prazer ou apenas o senso de propósito não conseguem proporcionar a chamada felicidade. A combinação de ambos, sim.
Deixe-me dar um exemplo. Um milionário consegue todas as experiências de prazer que deseja, quase sempre quando deseja. Uma viagem exótica, um novo carro, uma conquista amorosa-sexual, etc... mas então porque encontramos inúmeros casos de gente que tem tudo, mas não consegue livrar-se dos antidepressivos e remédios para dormir? Ou de pessoas que são aparentemente bem-sucedidas, mas de uma hora para outra largam tudo e saem em viagens de autodescoberta? Para não falar coisa pior...
Por outro lado, pense em uma pessoa que tem um trabalho ou com um forte senso de propósito, que sabe que está fazendo algo importante. Um colega de trabalho, um amigo, alguém com fortes crenças religiosas, mas que são pessoas que só fazem isso. E todos são muito chatos. Acho que todo mundo conhece alguém que fica repetindo o tempo inteiro que o que faz é muito importante, não se diverte, não conta piada, não ri de si, e fica indignado quando os outros não o vem com a mesma seriedade que atribui a si mesmo. Esse o ser que tem apenas senso de propósito, mas não consegue ter felicidade porque, embora ache que o que faz é muito importante, não possui momentos com suas máquinas de prazer.
E neste ponto é que a pesquisa de Dolan faz a diferença. Apenas experiências de prazer sem senso de propósito não conseguem gerar felicidade. Apenas senso de propósito, sem prazer, também não consegue gerar felicidade. Dolan demonstra que a felicidade – cientificamente falando – depende da combinação entre estes dois elementos ao longo do tempo, como uma espécie de trade-off (troca compensatória em uma tradução rasa) distribuído no tempo.
As vezes precisamos de mais prazer, e vamos beber com amigos, visitar os pais, passar horas com gente que você gosta e que gosta de você de maneira sincera. Também paramos o que estamos fazendo para ver um filme, um livro, ou um programa que julgamos engraçado. Em outros momentos precisamos ter a certeza (ou uma forte sensação) de que o que fazemos é importante para nós, ou para outras pessoas e, sobretudo, há um propósito. Criar filhos, serviço voluntário, uma pesquisa acadêmica que vai mudar o mundo, ou até um aplicativo que – pretensamente – vai acabar com umas 10 doenças tropicais, ou simplesmente ajudar alguém. A certeza de que fazemos parte disso, nos gera sendo de propósito.
A ideia é incrivelmente simples, mas poderosa.
O livro é desenvolvido sobre uma série de exemplos práticos aplicados ao cotidiano das pessoas. Talvez um dos maiores talentos do autor seja, explicar complexas teorias comportamentais com exemplos bastante simples e que qualquer pessoa pode se identificar.
A tese sobre alocação da atenção é sensacional. É uma ótima explicação científica e bem fundamentada do conceito de que as coisas são exatamente do tamanho que atribuímos a elas. Se tivemos uma frustração e escolhemos torná-la o centro de nossa atenção, ficamos menos felizes. Se fazemos o contrário, a probabilidade de ser mais feliz é elevada. E tudo isso muito bem explicado com pesquisas e exemplos.
Poderia afirmar, sem nenhuma dúvida, que foi o livro mais bacana que terminei este ano.
Se me permitem recomendo a leitura para todos.
January 10, 2022
Apesar do meu ranço por livros que vendem uma "fórmula mágica" de ser feliz, me propus a ler este livro pois já abia que encontraria uma obra que explora o conceito de felicidade com alguma robustez científica. Nesse sentido, o livro não deixou a desejar, entretanto, achei-o um tanto quanto exaustivo, acredito que pelo fato do autor misturar muitas pesquisas de forma brusca, sem muita transição.
No mais, não obstante essa falta de capricho - que talvez seja um capricho meu como leitor -, é um livro interessante que tece conceitos muito úteis à vida, vide a noção de felicidade sendo um equilíbrio subjetivo entre propósito e prazer; o fato de termos uma energia atencional limitada e que portanto deve ser bem direcionada, sem distrações; o necessário acompanhamento/feedback de nossos comportamentos para que possamos projetar mudanças...
Enfim, no final das contas, fora uma leitura extremamente válida. Recomendo!
No mais, não obstante essa falta de capricho - que talvez seja um capricho meu como leitor -, é um livro interessante que tece conceitos muito úteis à vida, vide a noção de felicidade sendo um equilíbrio subjetivo entre propósito e prazer; o fato de termos uma energia atencional limitada e que portanto deve ser bem direcionada, sem distrações; o necessário acompanhamento/feedback de nossos comportamentos para que possamos projetar mudanças...
Enfim, no final das contas, fora uma leitura extremamente válida. Recomendo!
May 28, 2022
Fericirea... Un cuvânt care reprezintă ceva diferit pentru fiecare din noi. Avem priorități și valori diferite, drept urmare fericirea vine și ea din surse diferite. Autorul aceste cărți insă a făcut cercetări vaste pentru a determina ce au în comun oamenii fericiți, de ce unele popoare sunt mai satisfăcute de viață decât altele. Cum putem schimba unele mici obiceiuri pentru a ajunge la starea de beautitudine pe care o căutăm.
E o carte cu diferite studii, informație interesantă expusă într-un mod foarte accesibil.Recomand!
E o carte cu diferite studii, informație interesantă expusă într-un mod foarte accesibil.Recomand!
January 1, 2025
- Happiness requires a constant flow, combination and balance between “Pleasure” and “Purpose”
- Pleasure requires that you do things that are at least moderately challenging
- Studies show that the most important factors in determining happiness are (1) health (2) extensive social contact with people you like (3) education (4) relative perceptive of wealth (5) a good marriage / partner (6) having a purposeful job that has a short commute
- Expectations are also central to experiences in life; having overly high expectations of any event, interaction or outcome in life is a good predictor for disappointment
- Be optimistic while preparing for downsides and don’t be too hard on yourself
- People around you influence you much more than you think
- Pleasure requires that you do things that are at least moderately challenging
- Studies show that the most important factors in determining happiness are (1) health (2) extensive social contact with people you like (3) education (4) relative perceptive of wealth (5) a good marriage / partner (6) having a purposeful job that has a short commute
- Expectations are also central to experiences in life; having overly high expectations of any event, interaction or outcome in life is a good predictor for disappointment
- Be optimistic while preparing for downsides and don’t be too hard on yourself
- People around you influence you much more than you think
January 27, 2020
Really interesting view of how we can practically change areas of our lives, and where we pay our attention, in order to improve our overall happiness. I think I need to read it again to be able to lean into the practical suggestions. A very solid thesis.
June 24, 2020
The book provides great insight into the psychology of happiness. Especially the many insights into how policy makers act are quite interesting. Overall though, the book would've needed an editor to trim it down to a half of the actual text to get rid of the author's many repetitions.
August 23, 2020
I think this book could have been cut in half, it is very repetitive. The first section discussing the research/ theory behind happiness is very drawn out. The second half which discusses how to design happiness is very interesting, however was a bit dry to read.
March 1, 2024
EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS BOOK.
It makes you reflect so much about the value we give to everything we do in our life, and it reminds you that lost happiness is lost forever, so make the most not to lose any.
It makes you reflect so much about the value we give to everything we do in our life, and it reminds you that lost happiness is lost forever, so make the most not to lose any.
March 28, 2017
Quite a good book but way too many figures in it for me. Although these may inspire others.
Read
March 31, 2019This book has the virtue of being slightly different than all the other books about happiness. It even includes charts.
September 28, 2024
Como você se sente é em grande parte determinado por aquilo que você faz; o que você faz é em grande parte motivado pela expectativa de impacto na sua felicidade; e a felicidade é o feedback que você recebe sobre o impacto daquilo que faz.
A ciência comportamental nos ensina que aquilo que os outros nos dizem tem certa importância, mas que muito mais importante é quem nos diz. Damos mais atenção a algumas pessoas do que a outras.
A incerteza chama atenção, assim como sons aleatórios (buzinas de carro, por exemplo) chamam mais atenção do que os previsíveis (o tique- taque de um relógio).
Prestar atenção a como seu comportamento afeta seus sentimentos é essencial para entender o que faz e o que não o faz feliz.
Sua felicidade é determinada pela maneira como você aloca sua atenção. Aquilo a que você presta atenção conduz seu comportamento e determina sua felicidade. A atenção é a cola que mantém sua vida coesa.
Quando se tem poucos recursos atencionais, é preciso decidir sabiamente no que prestar atenção. Se você não é tão feliz quanto acha que poderia ser, deve estar alocando mal sua atenção. Você será mais feliz quando alocar sua atenção da melhor maneira possível.
felicidade são experiências de prazer e propósito ao longo do tempo.
O que sentimos é determinado pelo que nos acontece, mas também pelo tipo de pessoa que somos.
um sentimento é uma sensação que abrange os tipos de prazer e dor emocionais que os psicólogos costumam ter em mente, mas que além disso inclui sensações sobre o grau de propósito de uma determinada experiência.
para sermos felizes de verdade, precisamos sentir prazer e propósito. Você pode ser tão feliz ou tão triste quanto eu, mas com combinações muito diferentes de prazer e propósito. E talvez precise de cada um deles em graus distintos em momentos distintos. Mas sem dúvida precisa sentir ambos. Chamo isso de princípio do prazer e do propósito
É o fluxo total de sentimentos que importa para sua felicidade, e são eles que deveriam ser usados para julgar seu comportamento.
Minha pesquisa e minhas experiências me dizem que a vida é menos uma questão de trocar felicidade agora por felicidade futura (e vice- versa), e mais de trocar prazer e propósito em proporções diferentes em momentos diferentes.
Não existe nada além do aqui e agora: nossas expectativas e lembranças são todas parte de nossas sensações atuais.
Somente examinando o prazer e o propósito juntos é que podemos saber exatamente o quanto aquilo que fazemos nos torna felizes.
o trabalho gera um senso de propósito.
O processo de produção da felicidade é, portanto, o modo como você aloca sua atenção. Os insumos que entram na sua felicidade são a profusão de estímulos que disputam a sua atenção.
A chave para ser mais feliz é prestar mais atenção àquilo que o faz feliz e menos àquilo que não o faz.
Faz um bom tempo que os pilotos confiam em checklists de rotina para melhorar sua consciência situacional. As checklists contêm informações bem simples, mas servem para garantir que a tripulação da cabine tenha uma imagem completa dos fatores associados à segurança aérea.
A atenção consciente ocorre quando, de algum modo, você está ciente de para onde sua atenção está sendo direcionada; e a atenção inconsciente se dá quando você não tem ciência daquilo em que está prestando atenção. A atenção inconsciente abrange os processos de pensamento que acontecem enquanto a atenção consciente é direcionada para outro lugar.
o mundo é um lugar complexo, e seu cérebro tenta facilitar as coisas criando estratégias de simplificação que o ajudem a dar conta de tudo.
permissividade moral. Imagine- se com uma conta bancária moral. Quando o saldo é positivo, vai se permitir usar um pouco do crédito.
quando temos um déficit em nossa conta bancária moral, precisamos acumular créditos por meio da limpeza moral. As evidências apoiam a ideia.
Existe um modelo de adaptação de grande apelo intuitivo chamado AREA. Primeiro, os acontecimentos na vida prendem sua atenção. Depois, você reage a eles e, se puder explicá- los, deixará de prestar atenção e irá adaptar- se a eles.
que a “certeza” da morte permite que uma pessoa coloque a casa em ordem, enquanto a remissão lança incerteza sobre esse propósito.
a maioria das atividades e dos projetos em que persistimos acaba nos proporcionando tanto prazer quanto propósito
se você dá muita importância ao dinheiro, é melhor garantir que vai consegui- lo, porque, se não enriquecer, ficará bastante decepcionado.
o que quer que você conquiste, tente prestar atenção nas partes boas.
Lembre- se de que a felicidade futura não tem como compensar de fato a infelicidade de hoje: a felicidade perdida é perdida para sempre. Por isso, precisamos estar bastante confiantes de que quaisquer sacrifícios que fizermos para realizar esta ou aquela ambição realmente valerão a pena a longo prazo.
Não é a renda em si que faz a diferença, mas o aumento do poder de escolha, que significa que você pode satisfazer mais desejos.
Adquirir uma nova preferência que agora é satisfeita não é importante em si. Isso só me deixa numa situação melhor se faz com que eu, ou as pessoas de quem gosto, seja mais feliz do que era.
Quando pensamos no impacto de qualquer coisa, boa ou ruim, basicamente nos perguntamos o quanto esta coisa importa enquanto prestamos atenção a ela, e desse modo pensamos que importa muito— frequentemente muito mais do que importará no momento em que a estivermos vivenciando, quando nossa atenção irá orbitar em torno dela em vez de tê- la como foco. Este é o efeito de enfoque em ação.
O viés de distinção é a tendência a ver duas opções como mais diferentes entre si ao avaliá- las simultaneamente do que em separado.
sua avaliação geral de uma experiência sequer presta muita atenção ao tempo que ela durou. Isso se chama negligência da duração.
sem considerar a frequência e a intensidade das experiências futuras da lembrança, simplesmente não podemos saber se uma experiência foi, no final, um benefício líquido ou um custo líquido para nossa felicidade geral.
buscamos informações e evidências que sustentem aquilo em que acreditamos, e ignoramos informações que não sustentam. É o chamado viés de confirmação.
erro fundamental de atribuição. Ao explicar o comportamento dos outros, superestimamos o efeito de sua disposição subjacente e subestimamos o efeito do contexto.
nos sentimos desconfortáveis quando há uma discrepância entre o que pensamos e o que fazemos. Isso é conhecido como dissonância cognitiva.
acabamos nos divertindo mais quando não planejamos. No fim das contas, alimentar expectativas de ser muito feliz é provavelmente um método certeiro para não ser.
fato. Uma das maneiras mais eficazes de conseguir que as pessoas façam o que você gostaria é fazê- los sentir que estão fazendo voluntariamente. Caso se sintam coagidos, serão muito mais propensos a resistir.
Você vai conviver para sempre com você mesmo, é claro, e isso significa aceitar- se como alguém não só imperfeito, mas também capaz de mudar.
é bem fácil se sentir infeliz quando nossas crenças e nosso comportamento estão em conflito, quando criamos altas expectativas sobre nós mesmos ou quando nem sequer conseguimos aceitar quem somos.
Sua felicidade é o feedback mais importante do seu comportamento, mas nem sempre é o mais saliente. Algo é saliente quando é perceptível e relevante.
Resolva a incerteza que gera infelicidade e chegue rapidamente ao processo de adaptação por tê- la encarado. Monitorar o feedback da resolução de incertezas dolorosas irá lhe mostrar que muitas vezes superamos as coisas depressa.
Estudos mostram que rir pode gerar felicidade, e não apenas ser consequência dela, pois a decisão consciente de rir acaba inconscientemente nos tornando mais felizes.
o tempo discricionário: o que resta em cada semana depois que as necessidades da vida foram supridas.
Estudos demonstraram que, sob condições de tempo limitado, as mulheres se recordam de mais episódios autobiográficos do que os homens, tanto positivos quanto negativos.
o custo psicológico de uma escolha talvez dependa de quantas opções temos disponíveis. Muitas vezes nos sentimos pior quando temos mais escolhas— isso é conhecido como paradoxo da escolha.
prestar muita atenção a um acontecimento traumático recente só serve para cristalizar as emoções extremas e negativas que poderiam ter se dissipado caso não tivessem sido foco de tanta atenção.
se você quer que as pessoas ajam de determinada maneira, facilite isso para elas.
para ser mais feliz, você precisa fazer pequenos ajustes na sua vida, de modo que seguir o fluxo esteja em consonância com a meta de ser mais feliz.
Se você quer que os outros o puxem para cima, garanta que não vai ser puxado para baixo invejando o sucesso deles. Escolha normas sociais que aloquem sua atenção inconsciente para expectativas sensatas. Isso manterá sua atenção longe de comparações inatingíveis que só servem para fazer você se sentir pior.
Comece a fazer algo diferente num novo ambiente, e você se sentirá mais inclinado a continuar fazendo, pois há um novo arranjo de deixas contextuais para reforçar o comportamento.
Em geral, nós nos adaptamos mais devagar à felicidade proporcionada por experiências, o que significa que seu impacto persiste por mais tempo. O impacto de uma nova posse se dissipa mais depressa como estímulo na produção de felicidade, e as escolhas alternativas também podem continuar salientes por mais tempo, conforme pensamos nos outros bens materiais que poderíamos ter comprado.
Se não pode mudar o que faz, então mude aquilo a que presta atenção na experiência.
Além de prestar atenção ao prazer e ao propósito de uma nova experiência que dá certo, atente também para as lições de uma nova experiência que dá errado.
ouvimos música com o corpo, mexendo automaticamente os músculos em resposta a ela, dançando, batendo os pés ou apenas balançando no ritmo. É uma forma poderosa de abrir a mente e afeta mais intensamente a região do cérebro associada a emoções positivas e à memória, de um jeito que nenhum outro estímulo em nosso processo de produção de felicidade é capaz.
“Experimente algo novo” é provavelmente uma das sugestões mais comprovadas por evidências nos livros de autoajuda.
Compre mais experiências e menos coisas, alterne entre atividades de prazer e de propósito, e ouça música.
Se você nunca se perdoou por ter procrastinado, comece agora; e, se já, lembre- se de como foi boa a sensação ao fazer isso da última vez.
Doar é um ato que se dissemina.
objetivo de ser o mais feliz possível, pense na tríade decidir, projetar e fazer, que pode ser usada para ajudá- lo a encontrar o equilíbrio. Decidir o ajudará a resolver quaisquer dúvidas que tenha sobre sua felicidade, projetar facilitará a implementação da solução e fazer garantirá que seus recursos atencionais estejam funcionando em ordem.
Você é o que faz, sua felicidade é aquilo a que presta atenção, e você deveria prestar atenção ao que o faz feliz— e às pessoas com quem se importa.
felicidade perdida é perdida para sempre.
A ciência comportamental nos ensina que aquilo que os outros nos dizem tem certa importância, mas que muito mais importante é quem nos diz. Damos mais atenção a algumas pessoas do que a outras.
A incerteza chama atenção, assim como sons aleatórios (buzinas de carro, por exemplo) chamam mais atenção do que os previsíveis (o tique- taque de um relógio).
Prestar atenção a como seu comportamento afeta seus sentimentos é essencial para entender o que faz e o que não o faz feliz.
Sua felicidade é determinada pela maneira como você aloca sua atenção. Aquilo a que você presta atenção conduz seu comportamento e determina sua felicidade. A atenção é a cola que mantém sua vida coesa.
Quando se tem poucos recursos atencionais, é preciso decidir sabiamente no que prestar atenção. Se você não é tão feliz quanto acha que poderia ser, deve estar alocando mal sua atenção. Você será mais feliz quando alocar sua atenção da melhor maneira possível.
felicidade são experiências de prazer e propósito ao longo do tempo.
O que sentimos é determinado pelo que nos acontece, mas também pelo tipo de pessoa que somos.
um sentimento é uma sensação que abrange os tipos de prazer e dor emocionais que os psicólogos costumam ter em mente, mas que além disso inclui sensações sobre o grau de propósito de uma determinada experiência.
para sermos felizes de verdade, precisamos sentir prazer e propósito. Você pode ser tão feliz ou tão triste quanto eu, mas com combinações muito diferentes de prazer e propósito. E talvez precise de cada um deles em graus distintos em momentos distintos. Mas sem dúvida precisa sentir ambos. Chamo isso de princípio do prazer e do propósito
É o fluxo total de sentimentos que importa para sua felicidade, e são eles que deveriam ser usados para julgar seu comportamento.
Minha pesquisa e minhas experiências me dizem que a vida é menos uma questão de trocar felicidade agora por felicidade futura (e vice- versa), e mais de trocar prazer e propósito em proporções diferentes em momentos diferentes.
Não existe nada além do aqui e agora: nossas expectativas e lembranças são todas parte de nossas sensações atuais.
Somente examinando o prazer e o propósito juntos é que podemos saber exatamente o quanto aquilo que fazemos nos torna felizes.
o trabalho gera um senso de propósito.
O processo de produção da felicidade é, portanto, o modo como você aloca sua atenção. Os insumos que entram na sua felicidade são a profusão de estímulos que disputam a sua atenção.
A chave para ser mais feliz é prestar mais atenção àquilo que o faz feliz e menos àquilo que não o faz.
Faz um bom tempo que os pilotos confiam em checklists de rotina para melhorar sua consciência situacional. As checklists contêm informações bem simples, mas servem para garantir que a tripulação da cabine tenha uma imagem completa dos fatores associados à segurança aérea.
A atenção consciente ocorre quando, de algum modo, você está ciente de para onde sua atenção está sendo direcionada; e a atenção inconsciente se dá quando você não tem ciência daquilo em que está prestando atenção. A atenção inconsciente abrange os processos de pensamento que acontecem enquanto a atenção consciente é direcionada para outro lugar.
o mundo é um lugar complexo, e seu cérebro tenta facilitar as coisas criando estratégias de simplificação que o ajudem a dar conta de tudo.
permissividade moral. Imagine- se com uma conta bancária moral. Quando o saldo é positivo, vai se permitir usar um pouco do crédito.
quando temos um déficit em nossa conta bancária moral, precisamos acumular créditos por meio da limpeza moral. As evidências apoiam a ideia.
Existe um modelo de adaptação de grande apelo intuitivo chamado AREA. Primeiro, os acontecimentos na vida prendem sua atenção. Depois, você reage a eles e, se puder explicá- los, deixará de prestar atenção e irá adaptar- se a eles.
que a “certeza” da morte permite que uma pessoa coloque a casa em ordem, enquanto a remissão lança incerteza sobre esse propósito.
a maioria das atividades e dos projetos em que persistimos acaba nos proporcionando tanto prazer quanto propósito
se você dá muita importância ao dinheiro, é melhor garantir que vai consegui- lo, porque, se não enriquecer, ficará bastante decepcionado.
o que quer que você conquiste, tente prestar atenção nas partes boas.
Lembre- se de que a felicidade futura não tem como compensar de fato a infelicidade de hoje: a felicidade perdida é perdida para sempre. Por isso, precisamos estar bastante confiantes de que quaisquer sacrifícios que fizermos para realizar esta ou aquela ambição realmente valerão a pena a longo prazo.
Não é a renda em si que faz a diferença, mas o aumento do poder de escolha, que significa que você pode satisfazer mais desejos.
Adquirir uma nova preferência que agora é satisfeita não é importante em si. Isso só me deixa numa situação melhor se faz com que eu, ou as pessoas de quem gosto, seja mais feliz do que era.
Quando pensamos no impacto de qualquer coisa, boa ou ruim, basicamente nos perguntamos o quanto esta coisa importa enquanto prestamos atenção a ela, e desse modo pensamos que importa muito— frequentemente muito mais do que importará no momento em que a estivermos vivenciando, quando nossa atenção irá orbitar em torno dela em vez de tê- la como foco. Este é o efeito de enfoque em ação.
O viés de distinção é a tendência a ver duas opções como mais diferentes entre si ao avaliá- las simultaneamente do que em separado.
sua avaliação geral de uma experiência sequer presta muita atenção ao tempo que ela durou. Isso se chama negligência da duração.
sem considerar a frequência e a intensidade das experiências futuras da lembrança, simplesmente não podemos saber se uma experiência foi, no final, um benefício líquido ou um custo líquido para nossa felicidade geral.
buscamos informações e evidências que sustentem aquilo em que acreditamos, e ignoramos informações que não sustentam. É o chamado viés de confirmação.
erro fundamental de atribuição. Ao explicar o comportamento dos outros, superestimamos o efeito de sua disposição subjacente e subestimamos o efeito do contexto.
nos sentimos desconfortáveis quando há uma discrepância entre o que pensamos e o que fazemos. Isso é conhecido como dissonância cognitiva.
acabamos nos divertindo mais quando não planejamos. No fim das contas, alimentar expectativas de ser muito feliz é provavelmente um método certeiro para não ser.
fato. Uma das maneiras mais eficazes de conseguir que as pessoas façam o que você gostaria é fazê- los sentir que estão fazendo voluntariamente. Caso se sintam coagidos, serão muito mais propensos a resistir.
Você vai conviver para sempre com você mesmo, é claro, e isso significa aceitar- se como alguém não só imperfeito, mas também capaz de mudar.
é bem fácil se sentir infeliz quando nossas crenças e nosso comportamento estão em conflito, quando criamos altas expectativas sobre nós mesmos ou quando nem sequer conseguimos aceitar quem somos.
Sua felicidade é o feedback mais importante do seu comportamento, mas nem sempre é o mais saliente. Algo é saliente quando é perceptível e relevante.
Resolva a incerteza que gera infelicidade e chegue rapidamente ao processo de adaptação por tê- la encarado. Monitorar o feedback da resolução de incertezas dolorosas irá lhe mostrar que muitas vezes superamos as coisas depressa.
Estudos mostram que rir pode gerar felicidade, e não apenas ser consequência dela, pois a decisão consciente de rir acaba inconscientemente nos tornando mais felizes.
o tempo discricionário: o que resta em cada semana depois que as necessidades da vida foram supridas.
Estudos demonstraram que, sob condições de tempo limitado, as mulheres se recordam de mais episódios autobiográficos do que os homens, tanto positivos quanto negativos.
o custo psicológico de uma escolha talvez dependa de quantas opções temos disponíveis. Muitas vezes nos sentimos pior quando temos mais escolhas— isso é conhecido como paradoxo da escolha.
prestar muita atenção a um acontecimento traumático recente só serve para cristalizar as emoções extremas e negativas que poderiam ter se dissipado caso não tivessem sido foco de tanta atenção.
se você quer que as pessoas ajam de determinada maneira, facilite isso para elas.
para ser mais feliz, você precisa fazer pequenos ajustes na sua vida, de modo que seguir o fluxo esteja em consonância com a meta de ser mais feliz.
Se você quer que os outros o puxem para cima, garanta que não vai ser puxado para baixo invejando o sucesso deles. Escolha normas sociais que aloquem sua atenção inconsciente para expectativas sensatas. Isso manterá sua atenção longe de comparações inatingíveis que só servem para fazer você se sentir pior.
Comece a fazer algo diferente num novo ambiente, e você se sentirá mais inclinado a continuar fazendo, pois há um novo arranjo de deixas contextuais para reforçar o comportamento.
Em geral, nós nos adaptamos mais devagar à felicidade proporcionada por experiências, o que significa que seu impacto persiste por mais tempo. O impacto de uma nova posse se dissipa mais depressa como estímulo na produção de felicidade, e as escolhas alternativas também podem continuar salientes por mais tempo, conforme pensamos nos outros bens materiais que poderíamos ter comprado.
Se não pode mudar o que faz, então mude aquilo a que presta atenção na experiência.
Além de prestar atenção ao prazer e ao propósito de uma nova experiência que dá certo, atente também para as lições de uma nova experiência que dá errado.
ouvimos música com o corpo, mexendo automaticamente os músculos em resposta a ela, dançando, batendo os pés ou apenas balançando no ritmo. É uma forma poderosa de abrir a mente e afeta mais intensamente a região do cérebro associada a emoções positivas e à memória, de um jeito que nenhum outro estímulo em nosso processo de produção de felicidade é capaz.
“Experimente algo novo” é provavelmente uma das sugestões mais comprovadas por evidências nos livros de autoajuda.
Compre mais experiências e menos coisas, alterne entre atividades de prazer e de propósito, e ouça música.
Se você nunca se perdoou por ter procrastinado, comece agora; e, se já, lembre- se de como foi boa a sensação ao fazer isso da última vez.
Doar é um ato que se dissemina.
objetivo de ser o mais feliz possível, pense na tríade decidir, projetar e fazer, que pode ser usada para ajudá- lo a encontrar o equilíbrio. Decidir o ajudará a resolver quaisquer dúvidas que tenha sobre sua felicidade, projetar facilitará a implementação da solução e fazer garantirá que seus recursos atencionais estejam funcionando em ordem.
Você é o que faz, sua felicidade é aquilo a que presta atenção, e você deveria prestar atenção ao que o faz feliz— e às pessoas com quem se importa.
felicidade perdida é perdida para sempre.
September 7, 2023
i had to read this for school but honestly i really enjoyed it. some great questions and food for thought that will stick with me for a few months (at least)
February 2, 2015
I've always been a little wary of books that package up the science of a human emotion, or some other arbitrarily isolated mental trait. However, happiness is something that has responded quite well to this treatment, both in Daniel Nettle's book Happiness, which focuses on the science behind the feeling of happiness and David Linden's Pleasure, which lives up to its entertaining subtitle 'How our brains make junk food, exercise, marijuana, generosity and gambling feel so good,' in an entertaining romp through the biochemistry of the pleasure principle.
In the case of Happiness by Design, Paul Dolan takes a very different approach. Rather than go into any depth on the science of happiness, this is written more in the style of a 'how to' business book - so how to find what makes us happy, assess our personal state and do something about making it better.
Dolan divides happiness into two parts - pleasure and purpose (which is achieving something that makes you feel happy for having achieved it, rather than giving you direct pleasure - he gives a good example of writing a book as potentially producing that kind of happiness). Dolan makes this division sound like something new and original, though interestingly in Nettle's book happiness was given this division and one further distinction, as Nettle splits it between the immediate, short-lived buzz of joy, the feeling of well being and satisfaction, and the least directly expressed but long term feeling of achieving your potential.
Of itself, this revelation, and Dolan's recipe for discovering your current state of happiness and doing something that makes it better is quite interesting, but the whole thing suffers from business book-itis. In my experience, most business books (and I've written a few), when compared with a popular science title, have very little content, repeated over and again different ways, with various layout gimmicks like boxes, diagrams and tables to write in, designed to fill it out to length. And I'm afraid Happiness by Design does suffer from this a bit. I think Dolan could have fit the whole thing into a feature article in a magazine and all the rest is filler. It would have been much better if there had been more of the underlying science to back up the various claims and suggestions, as well as giving a better understanding of just what happens in the brain to cause happiness. That way, this could have made a good book.
As it was, reading it didn't make me happy. The writing style is workmanlike, but not inspiring. Although it is structured as a 'how to' book, the advice is quite difficult to separate from what can be rather dull text. I also got the impression that Dolan had taken to heart the usual publisher's push to 'make it more personal' and 'give it your voice' by trying to be a little hip occasionally (doesn't work) and by telling us far too much about himself. The danger here - and it really does come across this way - is of suffering from confirmation bias. Dolan is a body builder, which he gives as a good example of the purpose aspect of happiness, which seems to blind him to the fact that most people think bodybuilders look grotesque and that the whole business is about as purposeless as it gets.
One last, minor moan. One of the few parts where Dolan does stray into science, he gets it unfortunately wrong in an analogy linking the way we subjectively 'warp' time with the way we notice sounds. He comments 'If I doubled the volume of the TV from 50 decibels to 100 decibels, you would think that the sound had increased by less than a factor two.' In practice I would definitely know that the sound had increased by far more than a factor of two, because decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale.
So some good points here - I especially enjoyed the breakdowns of when and doing what people were most happy (for those who moan we watch too much TV, the television seems to be pretty much the number one source of happiness) - but it wasn't a particularly inspiring book.
In the case of Happiness by Design, Paul Dolan takes a very different approach. Rather than go into any depth on the science of happiness, this is written more in the style of a 'how to' business book - so how to find what makes us happy, assess our personal state and do something about making it better.
Dolan divides happiness into two parts - pleasure and purpose (which is achieving something that makes you feel happy for having achieved it, rather than giving you direct pleasure - he gives a good example of writing a book as potentially producing that kind of happiness). Dolan makes this division sound like something new and original, though interestingly in Nettle's book happiness was given this division and one further distinction, as Nettle splits it between the immediate, short-lived buzz of joy, the feeling of well being and satisfaction, and the least directly expressed but long term feeling of achieving your potential.
Of itself, this revelation, and Dolan's recipe for discovering your current state of happiness and doing something that makes it better is quite interesting, but the whole thing suffers from business book-itis. In my experience, most business books (and I've written a few), when compared with a popular science title, have very little content, repeated over and again different ways, with various layout gimmicks like boxes, diagrams and tables to write in, designed to fill it out to length. And I'm afraid Happiness by Design does suffer from this a bit. I think Dolan could have fit the whole thing into a feature article in a magazine and all the rest is filler. It would have been much better if there had been more of the underlying science to back up the various claims and suggestions, as well as giving a better understanding of just what happens in the brain to cause happiness. That way, this could have made a good book.
As it was, reading it didn't make me happy. The writing style is workmanlike, but not inspiring. Although it is structured as a 'how to' book, the advice is quite difficult to separate from what can be rather dull text. I also got the impression that Dolan had taken to heart the usual publisher's push to 'make it more personal' and 'give it your voice' by trying to be a little hip occasionally (doesn't work) and by telling us far too much about himself. The danger here - and it really does come across this way - is of suffering from confirmation bias. Dolan is a body builder, which he gives as a good example of the purpose aspect of happiness, which seems to blind him to the fact that most people think bodybuilders look grotesque and that the whole business is about as purposeless as it gets.
One last, minor moan. One of the few parts where Dolan does stray into science, he gets it unfortunately wrong in an analogy linking the way we subjectively 'warp' time with the way we notice sounds. He comments 'If I doubled the volume of the TV from 50 decibels to 100 decibels, you would think that the sound had increased by less than a factor two.' In practice I would definitely know that the sound had increased by far more than a factor of two, because decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale.
So some good points here - I especially enjoyed the breakdowns of when and doing what people were most happy (for those who moan we watch too much TV, the television seems to be pretty much the number one source of happiness) - but it wasn't a particularly inspiring book.
August 10, 2015
Why might cancer patients report lower levels of life satisfaction when their disease is in remission? Understanding such quirks can help us to improve outcomes for patients and, as Paul Dolan argues in his new book, enhance our own lives on a day-to-day basis.
Dolan describes the route to happiness as analogous to a production function. Firstly, there are inputs from various stimuli, such as the TV, this blog post or your back pain. Secondly, the production process corresponds to the allocation of your attention to these stimuli. Finally, the output is your level of happiness. A key message of HbD is this: learn to allocate more attention to positive stimuli – and less to negative stimuli – and you will be happier.
In order to achieve this, Dolan proposes a nudge-like context-focused approach. We should design our surroundings such that our behaviour is automatically guided towards maximising our happiness. Clearly some cognitive effort is required to achieve this, but Dolan’s approach is designed to be minimal. Change your banking password to Sav£M0ney; stop taking your cigarettes to work; or put a recurring event in your calendar to Skype your best friend. All of these could improve your happiness by influencing your behaviour.
The arguments in HbD are compelling. Almost every claim is backed-up by research, with 30 pages of references for you to trawl through should you fancy it. At times this results in the book reading a little like a review of Dolan’s work to date, which might be alienating for lay readers but comfortably familiar for academics (or nerds more generally). I only have a rudimentary understanding of behavioural science, but I suspect I may have struggled with some concepts and terminology without it. Nevertheless, the book remains engaging throughout. We’re given examples from the author’s own life, where he or the people around him have (or haven’t) dealt with the challenges to happiness, making the ideas easier to grasp and the concepts more relatable.
I have never read a self-help book, but it seems to me that HbD serves well as one. Throughout, the book encourages interaction. There are thought experiments in which the reader can participate, and doing so will enhance the experience. As a consistently happy person, with a relatively sunny disposition, I found myself identifying with many of the traits that Dolan encourages us to adopt in the name of happiness. I listen to a lot of music, my phone does not receive Facebook notifications, and I prefer to spend money on experiences rather than products. But am I happy because I adopt these behaviours, or do I adopt these behaviours because I am happy? Unfortunately, HbD will do little to dispel your concerns about causality. Though the book is evidence-based throughout, few of the references convincingly demonstrate causal relationships between behaviour and happiness.
Full review at http://bit.ly/HbDreview
Dolan describes the route to happiness as analogous to a production function. Firstly, there are inputs from various stimuli, such as the TV, this blog post or your back pain. Secondly, the production process corresponds to the allocation of your attention to these stimuli. Finally, the output is your level of happiness. A key message of HbD is this: learn to allocate more attention to positive stimuli – and less to negative stimuli – and you will be happier.
In order to achieve this, Dolan proposes a nudge-like context-focused approach. We should design our surroundings such that our behaviour is automatically guided towards maximising our happiness. Clearly some cognitive effort is required to achieve this, but Dolan’s approach is designed to be minimal. Change your banking password to Sav£M0ney; stop taking your cigarettes to work; or put a recurring event in your calendar to Skype your best friend. All of these could improve your happiness by influencing your behaviour.
The arguments in HbD are compelling. Almost every claim is backed-up by research, with 30 pages of references for you to trawl through should you fancy it. At times this results in the book reading a little like a review of Dolan’s work to date, which might be alienating for lay readers but comfortably familiar for academics (or nerds more generally). I only have a rudimentary understanding of behavioural science, but I suspect I may have struggled with some concepts and terminology without it. Nevertheless, the book remains engaging throughout. We’re given examples from the author’s own life, where he or the people around him have (or haven’t) dealt with the challenges to happiness, making the ideas easier to grasp and the concepts more relatable.
I have never read a self-help book, but it seems to me that HbD serves well as one. Throughout, the book encourages interaction. There are thought experiments in which the reader can participate, and doing so will enhance the experience. As a consistently happy person, with a relatively sunny disposition, I found myself identifying with many of the traits that Dolan encourages us to adopt in the name of happiness. I listen to a lot of music, my phone does not receive Facebook notifications, and I prefer to spend money on experiences rather than products. But am I happy because I adopt these behaviours, or do I adopt these behaviours because I am happy? Unfortunately, HbD will do little to dispel your concerns about causality. Though the book is evidence-based throughout, few of the references convincingly demonstrate causal relationships between behaviour and happiness.
Full review at http://bit.ly/HbDreview
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