Review: Stumbling on Happiness

Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This book gives a clear idea of why people make decisions they think will make them happy, but don't always end up that way. In the end, we learn that the best way to determine if we should do something is to ask someone how they feel right now as they are doing the thing we are thinking about doing. Notice I didn't say to ask someone who has done what we want to do. The reason is we often have different feelings about what we have done or are going to do than what we actually felt while doing that thing.

For instance, how often does someone scream with fear while on a roller coaster, but then later say it was awesome? The same goes for those who get a masters degree. They may say once it is over it wasn't that bad, but ask anyone in the middle of getting their master's and you will hear a much different story.

Ultimately, your mind plays tricks on you on how you felt about circumstances and events in the past and how you'll feel about them in the future.

Read the book for a more extensive look at all of the ways we trick ourselves and to see some of the events people assume will bring happiness versus which ones actually do.



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