Topic: TED - Synthetic happiness

[Jahn]

Get your self happy!
Here you have some advice to reach happiness.

Become a paraplegiatic?
Get it all ,wealth and power, and then lose it.
Spend as long time in prison as possibly you can.
Miss the chance to become a billionaire.
Never ever join the Beatles.

And much more ...

Prof Dan Gilbert asks, Why are we happy? (Or how can we be happy)

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_we_happy.html

[Michael]

I think he made a mistake in one point where he said 'the irreversible condition is not conducive to the synthesis of happiness'.

I gather from my understanding he meant the opposite: 'the reversible condition is not conducive to the synthesis of happiness'.

It is a good insight into why we should never look back and question - once the choice is made we commit fully. Doesn't mean we shouldn't reflect for future learning, but does mean that once the decision is made, that is it - even if we have the choice to change, we deny ourselves that choice.

We usually associate that with building power, but curious to see it also builds happiness.

[Jahn]

I found the part with the patients with amnesia as quite funny. How their preferences was sticked to the choice they had made - but did not know.  "Sorry doc ..."

What he to some extent talks about is the natural state of being in the flow. To be in the flow makes both previous and future events smaller compared to the things that surround us Now. He mentioned that even significant life events that had happened more than 3 months ago had for the majority no disturbing impact on the happiness of today.

Inga-Lill "knew" that it is better to make the choice once and for all and not have this 4 days "I can regret the choice". It sure start a "I stick to it" process to make a definite choice.