The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom by Jonathan Haidt is a great overview of the psychology of happiness (including positive psychology and other similar fields of study). It’s a treasure trove of references to other resources – ancient and modern – focused on happiness and the pursuit of happiness.In the book Haidt relates the following formula for happiness:Happiness H = S (someone's biological/genetic set point) + C (the conditions of their life) + V (their voluntary activities).The set point is the general range of emotional responses someone tends to gravitate towards habitually (some people are generally happy-go-lucky while others seem to be generally melancholic and so on), the conditions part of the equation seems self-explanatory, and the voluntary activities would be the things that you have the freedom to choose to do that allow you to experience some level of satisfaction or empowerment. Even if it is rather reductive, it makes a lot of sense.Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters: From Dating, Shopping, and Praying to Going to War and Becoming a Billionaire: Two Evolutionary Psychologists Explain Why We Do What We Do is a book about evolutionary psychology and human behavior by Alan S. Miller and Satoshi Kanazawa. This is a thought provoking and challenging read. I found it very entertaining as well. If the title doesn’t suck you in, nothing I say about the book will make a difference. That’s all I’m going to say about it for now. :)
You need to be a member of Library 2.0 to add comments!
Replies