The Happiness Hypothesis

Book Description

Critics

• Don't worry, be happy

  The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt 320pp, William Heinemann, £18.99 The idea of the "divided self" is nothing new. Forget RD Laing: Buddha compared the experience of being human to that of a trainer (rationality) sitting astride an elephant ( ... (read full critics)

  guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

• The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom By Jonathan Haidt

  Wisdom is now so cheap and abundant that it floods over us from calendar pages, tea bags, bottle caps, and mass e-mail messages asserts social psychologist Jonathan Haidt in The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom. Does acces ... (read full critics)

  bookpage published on Sat, 18 Sep 2010

3 Reviews

• 3 people find this helpful

  

  This book draws upon the idea of non-attachment discovered by several of the world's oldest civilizations -- to question it in light of what we now know about scientific research, and to extract from it the lessons that still apply to our modern lives.

  I particularly like the author's metapho ... (continue)

  This book draws upon the idea of non-attachment discovered by several of the world's oldest civilizations -- to question it in light of what we now know about scientific research, and to extract from it the lessons that still apply to our modern lives.

  I particularly like the author's metaphor on Freud's thinking of the mind as a horse and buggy in which the driver(the ego) struggles frantically to control a hungry, lustful and disobedient horse(id) while the driver's father(super ego) sits in the back seat lecturing the driver on what he is doing wrong. This imagery will always be handy for me.

  One interesting scientific research result that i learnt was that there’re actual mental mechanisms that makes us feel so good at seeing the slightest speck in our neighbour’s eye, and so bad at seeing the log in our own.

  I also like Haidt's balance on the idea of non-attachment from eastern ancient thinkers and passionate attachments from many western thinkers. He reminded us that "Buddha and Laozi both lived in turbulent times of their history when life is unpredictable and dangerous, it might therefore be foolish to seek happiness by controlling one's external world." The world we live in today is, however, very different. With the increasing capacity to mold the world around us, this now "seems to be an inappropriate response to the inevitable presence of some suffering in every day life." "Attachments brain pain, but they also bring our greatest joy".

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  Gabiq said on Aug 26, 2008 about the Paperback edition | 1 feedback

• 1 person find this helpful

  

  The book recurrently mentions that 3 things can improve your happiness in early chapters: (1) Prozac; (2) Meditation; and (3) cognitive therapy. While why (1) and (3) will have such therapeutic effect is quite self-explanatory and evident, it does not, however, explain why (2) shall bring about peac ... (continue)

  The book recurrently mentions that 3 things can improve your happiness in early chapters: (1) Prozac; (2) Meditation; and (3) cognitive therapy. While why (1) and (3) will have such therapeutic effect is quite self-explanatory and evident, it does not, however, explain why (2) shall bring about peace of mind and happiness, though those who have practiced it may have no doubt concurring with the claim.

  Recently, I have come across a book that offers an explanation. The reason is that when we meditate, we usually focus on a single thought or chanting (in mind) a single sound. In so doing, we deliberately make ourselves fixated at the 'here and now', so much so that any thought that may lead us to anxiety, stress or tension is removed from our conscious, thus peace of mind.

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  joey said on Sep 9, 2007 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• 

  We are the rider and we are the elephant

  As the author says, we often understand things through metaphors. And the book gives you a great one to explain our mind: a raider on the back of an elephant.
  This image is used in the book to guide the reader in the analysis of many "components" related to happiness: love, virtues, religion, recip ... (continue)

  As the author says, we often understand things through metaphors. And the book gives you a great one to explain our mind: a raider on the back of an elephant.
  This image is used in the book to guide the reader in the analysis of many "components" related to happiness: love, virtues, religion, reciprocity, adversities..

  The book is very easy to read, interesting and entertaining at the same time. It's not perfect, and some of the points (especially towards the last chapters) are a bit superficial and not really convincing. Still, I give it five stars cause I thing everybody
  should read and learn something from this book.

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  Dvd said on May 28, 2010 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

Book Details

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• English Books
• Audio CD
• Publisher: Gildan Media Corp
• Also available as: Paperback and Hardcover
• In other languages: other languages 简体书

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