Comments on: Book Review: Stumbling on Happiness http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/book-review-stumbling-on-happiness/ Investing and Personal Finance Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:38:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rob Bennett http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/book-review-stumbling-on-happiness/comment-page-1/#comment-27306 Rob Bennett Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:46:32 +0000 http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/?p=4377#comment-27306 My view is that we should focus less on doing what it takes to become happy and more on what it takes to live meaningful lives. I believe that happiness, when it comes (and sometimes it doesn't), comes as the result of leading a meaningful life. There are all sorts of wonderful things that people have done that never would have been done if the universal quest had been to be happy. No one would ever fight a war if the goal was to be happy. Without wars for freedom, we all would be living in slavery. No one would ever champion a new idea, given the hostility that is often directed to those championing new ideas, if the goal was to be happy. We all would be a lot poorer if no one had championed the idea that it is possible for man to fly or to cure diseases or to end slavery. We all have a natural inclination to choose happiness. And I certainly would never say "no" to happiness without a good reason. But I try not to make it my primary goal. My sense is that those who focus too much on being happy often end up miserable. Rob My view is that we should focus less on doing what it takes to become happy and more on what it takes to live meaningful lives. I believe that happiness, when it comes (and sometimes it doesn’t), comes as the result of leading a meaningful life.

There are all sorts of wonderful things that people have done that never would have been done if the universal quest had been to be happy. No one would ever fight a war if the goal was to be happy. Without wars for freedom, we all would be living in slavery. No one would ever champion a new idea, given the hostility that is often directed to those championing new ideas, if the goal was to be happy. We all would be a lot poorer if no one had championed the idea that it is possible for man to fly or to cure diseases or to end slavery.

We all have a natural inclination to choose happiness. And I certainly would never say “no” to happiness without a good reason. But I try not to make it my primary goal. My sense is that those who focus too much on being happy often end up miserable.

Rob

]]> By: Mike http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/book-review-stumbling-on-happiness/comment-page-1/#comment-27289 Mike Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:48:02 +0000 http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/?p=4377#comment-27289 I read "Paradox of Choice" by Barry Schwartz a while back and he references a lot of these same studies. I guess that researching and writing about psychology tests is a bit of a cottage industry? At least Gilbert did his own research. I have to say that Schwartz' book was also a magazine article stretched into a book although it was worth a read. http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/2008/02/04/analysis-paralysis-decisions/ I read “Paradox of Choice” by Barry Schwartz a while back and he references a lot of these same studies. I guess that researching and writing about psychology tests is a bit of a cottage industry? At least Gilbert did his own research.

I have to say that Schwartz’ book was also a magazine article stretched into a book although it was worth a read.

http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/2008/02/04/analysis-paralysis-decisions/

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