The Little Book of Lykke: Secrets of the World's Happiest People (The Happiness Institute Series)

by Meik Wiking

That our wealth is not measured by the size of our bank accounts but by the strength of our bonds, the health of our loved ones, and the level of our gratitude.

The more people we have with whom we can talk about personal matters, the happier we are.

According to a Dutch proverb, it is better to have a good neighbor than a distant friend.

And, so far, I have yet to discover a more powerful force to explain human happiness than the fulfillment of our longing for love, friendship, and community.

Like most things, the more we have of something, the less happiness we derive from it. The first slice of cake: awesome. The fifth slice: not so good. Economists call this the law of diminishing marginal utility.

The biggest obstacles to happiness are feeling inferior or excluded.

His point is that great public spaces—like beautiful parks, bike paths, and walkable streets—function as social blenders; as equalizers in our cities and societies.

“No people can be truly happy if they do not feel that they are choosing the course of their own life,”

So much disappointment arises from what is desired but not chosen.” So wrote Frances Mayes,

“You are going to spend a huge part of your life working—it should be something you enjoy.”

“One should not focus on potential earnings when it comes to jobs—one should focus on the satisfaction you would get from it.” Wolf Wiking

we are wired to feel good when we do something that makes our species survive.

Not only can our current mood be improved by a helper’s high, but altruism can also affect our overall happiness and how we evaluate our lives.