Jonathan Haidt

Every culture rests on a bedrock of folk wisdom handed down through generations. The pronouncements of philosophers are homespun by our grandmothers, and find their way into our common sense: what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Do unto others as you would have done unto you. Happiness comes from within. But are these 'truths' really true? Today we all seem to prefer to cling to the notion that a little bit more money, love or success will make us truly happy. Are we wrong? In The Happiness Hypothesis, psychologist Jonathan Haidt exposes traditional wisdom to the scrutiny of modern science, delivering startling insights. We learn that virtue is often not its own reward, why extroverts really are happier than introverts, and why conscious thought is not as important as we might like to think... Drawing on the rich inspiration of both philosophy and science, The Happiness Hypothesis is a remarkable, original and provocative book - ancient wisdom in our time.

Putting Ancient Wisdom to the Test of Modern Science

The Happiness Hypothesis

The bestselling author of The Righteous Mind draws on philosophical wisdom and scientific research to show how the meaningful life is closer than you think The Happiness Hypothesis is a book about ten Great Ideas. Each chapter is an attempt to savor one idea that has been discovered by several of the world's civilizations--to question it in light of what we now know from scientific research, and to extract from it the lessons that still apply to our modern lives and illuminate the causes of human flourishing. Award-winning psychologist Jonathan Haidt, the author of The Righteous Mind, shows how a deeper understanding of the world's philosophical wisdom and its enduring maxims--like "do unto others as you would have others do unto you," or "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger"--can enrich and even transform our lives.

Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom

matej yangwao

** spoiler alert **
           Book on drawing lines how you can control your inmer 🐘 elephant.


>Once you can control your interpretations, you can control your life .

>To be able to control your life, you must first control the emotional sides of the Elephant

>Reciprocity is when you expect equal treatment for something you shared with someone. Reciprocity serves as a reminder that actions need rewards

>Lack of reciprocity can cause a conflict of interest, gossip, hatred, and defamation of another person's identity .

>Humans believe that when you don't reciprocate, you're an ingrate that doesn't deserve help again.

>Admitting to your faults can be very difficult because the Elephant is programmed to deny accusations.

>Short term happiness can only bring short term satisfaction.

>Virtue is made up of several traits like Morality, Altruism, Nobleness, and some other respected character traits.

>Society has become a free world where anything can be discarded, including religion.

>When you connect to something bigger and greater through religion, nature, or meditation, you are well on course to achieving a meaningful life.

Don't pursue passion you're not good at

John Rodwell

Man, I am a sucker for nonfictional books that are able to incorporate humor into serious discussions. This book changed how I operated in life -- at times, the change is only as subtle as my thoughts but sometimes I thoroughly approach happiness differently. My roommate recommended this during the summer of 2021. I can still remember the feeling of reading this book while lounging around my apartment room. This was before I purchased a bed when I was sleeping on a cot and when I was participating in my first research project. To no one's surprise, a book about happiness suited my emotional needs quite well.

Sandra Bartos

Easily accessible read. Down to earth research on how to navigate yourself in search of meaning of life and happiness. This book doesn't provide one and only way into a happy and meaningful life. It's a rather concise approach to philosophies of ancient times and recent science on the topic.

James Haliburton

Readable introduction to 'positive psychology'; not life-changing but certainly thought-provoking.

Lucas Coelho

I took a long time to read this book. Being a philosophy nerd I was digging into all the references the author mentioned on his arguments and boy, that was fun. From revisiting religious books to Sartre, this book made me reflect again on a lot of truths I had set to myself. I just think at the end, the payoff on the book was not what I expected, too short and overly simplified. Maybe that’s the message the author was trying to convey. 

What is the meaning of your life?

The Happiness Hypothesis Putting Ancient Wisdom to the Test of Modern Science

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