Comments on: 4 Guidelines for Increasing Daily Happiness

By: Bookmarks about Hedonic

Bookmarks about Hedonic — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:31:00 +0000

[...] – bookmarked by 5 members originally found by SaintNiggalin on 2008-10-31 4 Guidelines for Increasing Daily Happiness http://www.lifeoptimizer.org/2008/07/16/guidelines-for-increasing-daily-happiness/ – bookmarked by [...]

By: Laurie | Express Yourself to Success

Laurie | Express Yourself to Success — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:01:07 +0000

I find that we tend to think that happiness is something that happens “to” us and that we’ve got no control over it. Your post with helps the understanding that much of our happiness is our responsibility. Thanks for that.

By: Stu | Improved Lives

Stu | Improved Lives — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:11:57 +0000

Good points Bart. One of the challenges I constantly come across is trying to describe the immense amount of complexity that is at work both on us and within us.

On the one hand, I think you’re right to say that there are subtleties to the human experience that are difficult to measure and quantify. At the same time, I think it’s commendable of psychology to attempt it, and I think too that if we look at the immense amount of progress that has been made in measuring and quantifying mental illness, it must be only a matter of time until we know just as much about mental health.

By: etavitom

etavitom — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 01:46:21 +0000

being spontaneous, or present, is the key! thank you

By: Bart B

Bart B — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:10:08 +0000

The study results are interesting, but I’m not sure I agree 100%. (I’ve read a few different happiness related studies and disagree with many of the research methodologies, in particular survey testing for happiness levels can be very inaccurate. )

As for the tips, I think that #1 and #2 are very solid. However, the last two, IMO, are superficial at best. Even though spontaneity is a lackluster word to describe a calculated effort to avoid hedonistic adaptation, I don’t think lack of novelty is the problem. I have a old-school Zen take on things – it’s not what you do specifically but how you relate and feel about that matters. Life can be joyous in the simple, everyday things – but it’s a change of awareness and philosophy that drive it, not the external stuff.

There are differences between pleasure, positive moods, happiness and joy that are difficult to measure and evaluate. Personal contentment is a complex thing, and all I know is what works for me.

Anyway, thanks for the stimulating article!