We Don't Know What Makes Us Happy (But We Think We Do)

[grunder20]

family makes us happy.

[agapitoflores001]

Great talk. It was very entertaining.

[metallica2289]

she is hott

[MrMadeintheuk]

If i hear her say robust one more time.....

[SealTeam1]

She gets the Hot mark on Rate My Professor I'm sure.

[hufon009]

hmm. are they trying to measure happiness or are they trying to 'instill' happiness, in the gullible among you, based on what they think *you* should be happy doing?

[sacredbunny246]

I found point 3, but where is point 1?

[houstonsarrattjr]

This video presents a profound spiritual truth wrapped in a research-based package. The speaker is engaging and down-to-earth in her presentation, which makes this information accessible to middle school students up. I plan to use it for my sixth graders, and have already imbedded it in my website as a homework assignment. Can’t wait to hear their comments in class discussion . . .

[TonyOneKenobi]

Jennifer is hot!! I would!!

[chrismca]

@TonyOneKenobi I would too, and I KNOW it would make me happy !

[mangaas]

Are they seriously measuring peoples "happiness" by just asking them?

... talk about skewing perception and reality.

[4eva68]

The graph is needed to prove that giving and not being self centered will produce a happier spirit -

[if it is a cheerful giver- and not forced-

...at the same time the trigger to become a giver must be pulled as some have become more and more greedy in life.]

The key is branching spontaneous and not mundane giving.

Whether we realize it or not.

[Nevyle]

This is just plain stupid........not empirical at all...

You really think that 5/20 dollars would impact happiness to such a degree that these people can accuratly measure it 2 days later ???

if the effect is indeed significant, what youve got here, is a good ol case of people wanna seem better than they are....i mean come on, admitting that your life now sucks because you had to give money away :D

'Collective Bias'

Of course charity makes you feel all fuzy inside....hypocrits...

[infinummjb]

And what about an option C: here is $5/$20 and you can DECIDE what to do with it. Then ask them how they feel 2-3 days later.

Since you are forcing people to spend it on themselves or on someone else this is not measuring the real life happiness.

People are happy when they are free to choose, not when they are told what they can or cannot do.

[HermanTHW]

I like that graph between the mundane and glamorous, I kind of suspected the superficiality of certain things which seem more externally valuable than internally valuable.

But, I was sort of wondering in the studies conducted, was happiness measured solely by questioning the subject? Happiness is a fascinating phenomenon, and I don't know how valid simply asking a person is in terms of providing usable data.

[99missingperson99]

I don't agree with the intelligence bit, I think intelligence can lead to the greedy corrupt ideas you mention but thats primarily societal practices that determine that.On the other side intelligence can allow a person to see the absolute absurdity and unsustainability of our culture and societies structures.Think outside the box.Remove the trappings that we impose on ourselves if you really want to affect the happiness of all.Not just find a way to be happy in our garbage heap we have now.

[sesshoumaru1981]

@99missingperson99

Maybe "ignorance is bliss" comes into play too if you realize how much is going wrong in the world (and how difficult it is to change something). And the chart only said that it's overrated. Seeing that there are a lot of intelligent people out there who aren't too happy, I guess there's some truth to it.