Stumbling on Happiness Essay - 1160 Words

What is Happiness? People travel through life with what seems like a single goal: to be happy. This may seem like a selfish way to live, however this lone objective is the motivation behind nearly all actions. Even seemingly selfless deeds make people feel better about themselves. That warm feeling experienced while doing charitable acts can be described as happiness. But what is authentic happiness? There is an endless possibility of answers to this question, and man seems to be always searching for the solution. Although one may reach his or her goals, there is always still something one strives for in order to be happy. In the book Stumbling on Happiness, Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert takes the reader through†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"When people find it easy to imagine an event, they overestimate the likelihood that it will actually occur† (Gilbert, 2006, p.19.) Gilbert explains that this causes us to be overoptimistic about our futures and thus changes what we do in order t o be happy. Young people imagine traveling the world, starting a successful business or becoming a star. Later on in one’s life they may realize that they do not have the funds to travel the world, the talent to become a star, or even the desire to start their own business. Perhaps they come to the conclusion that they would be happier starting a family or writing a book. Humans have an undeniable want to control. The reason somebody imagines the future is so they can do something about it (Gilbert, 2006, p. 21.) We imagine a future better than today so we can take the actions necessary to get to the better tomorrow. I imagined college being a whole lot better than high school. The freedom and the separation from my parents was something I wanted. So in order to get here I studied hard in high school, strove for a good ACT score, and applied to universities. The actions I took in high school were in order to control the future. Gilbert answers the question of â€Å"Why shou ld we want to control our futures?† â€Å"It feels good to do so-period. Impact is rewarding. Mattering makes us happy. The act of steering one’s boat down the river of time is a source of pleasure, regardless of one’s port of call† (Gilbert,Show MoreRelatedThe Nature Of Happiness By Daniel Gilbert1501 Words   |  7 Pagesguessed Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert is all about what makes people happy, how to make people happy, and why people feel happy in certain situations. This assumption is correct, but Gilbert digs much deeper than these three simple questions. He discusses the nature of happiness and explains the many, many psychological illusions that alter our perception of happiness. Gilbert focuses on why happiness is so difficult to measure and why many people have bias views regarding happiness. AfterRead MoreLove For The First Time1513 Words   |  7 Pagesourselves it does with the people around us. You can’t predict how ot hers will feel or how to make them feel because every single person is different. Which make Stumbling On Happiness by Daniel Gilbert an extremely valuable book because it shows the errors our brains made and because of it, we are always going to stumble to the way of happiness. Most of us spend so much time of our lives thinking about the future just to realize what we wanted isn’t what we thought it would be. Sometimes we ask ourselvesRead MoreEssay on Use of Symbolism in Chopin’s The Awakening740 Words   |  3 PagesUse of Symbolism in Chopin’s The Awakening --Passage from Chapter X, pgs. 49-50 â€Å"But that night she was like the little tottering, stumbling, clutching child, who all of a sudden realizes its powers, and walks for the first time alone, boldly and with over-confidence. She could have shouted for joy. 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