Stumbling on happiness

310 pages

English language

Published Jan. 6, 2007 by Vintage Books.

ISBN:: 978-1-4000-7742-7
OCLC Number:: 123754067

(1 review)

Why are lovers quicker to forgive their partners for infidelity than for leaving dirty dishes in the sink? Why do patients remember long medical procedures as less painful than short ones? Why do home sellers demand prices they wouldn't dream of paying if they were home buyers? Why does the line at the grocery store always slow down when we join it? In this book, Harvard psychologist Gilbert describes the foibles of imagination and illusions of foresight that cause each of us to misconceive our tomorrows and misestimate our satisfactions. Using the latest research in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, philosophy, and behavioral economics, Gilbert reveals what we have discovered about the uniquely human ability to imagine the future, our capacity to predict how much we will like it when we get there, and why we seem to know so little about the hearts and minds of the people we are about …

Why are lovers quicker to forgive their partners for infidelity than for leaving dirty dishes in the sink? Why do patients remember long medical procedures as less painful than short ones? Why do home sellers demand prices they wouldn't dream of paying if they were home buyers? Why does the line at the grocery store always slow down when we join it? In this book, Harvard psychologist Gilbert describes the foibles of imagination and illusions of foresight that cause each of us to misconceive our tomorrows and misestimate our satisfactions. Using the latest research in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, philosophy, and behavioral economics, Gilbert reveals what we have discovered about the uniquely human ability to imagine the future, our capacity to predict how much we will like it when we get there, and why we seem to know so little about the hearts and minds of the people we are about to become.--From publisher description.

12 editions

Infinite Summaries reviewed Stumbling on happiness by Daniel Todd Gilbert

Ignore your brain.

4 stars

[My review of the 12min summary]

Daniel Gilbert is a social psychologist and professor at Harvard. He specializes in affective forecasting, which is the brain's ability to predict whether it will be a happy brain or a sad brain in the future.

This is a good book. It describes the ways your brain is incapable of predicting the future and remembering the past. Most people think that their memories are accurate. They're not! Stop believing that crap! Your brain is failing you! It's a bigger disappointment than your no-good son who dropped out of college and now plays video games in your basement.

Final Notes (quoted from 12min) "You are unable to predict the future correctly, or even to remember events accurately. Since the brain needs to economize, it automatically fills in details of past and future experiences, while leaving other details out. It is also incapable of accurately imagining …

[My review of the 12min summary]

Daniel Gilbert is a social psychologist and professor at Harvard. He specializes in affective forecasting, which is the brain's ability to predict whether it will be a happy brain or a sad brain in the future.

This is a good book. It describes the ways your brain is incapable of predicting the future and remembering the past. Most people think that their memories are accurate. They're not! Stop believing that crap! Your brain is failing you! It's a bigger disappointment than your no-good son who dropped out of college and now plays video games in your basement.

Final Notes (quoted from 12min) "You are unable to predict the future correctly, or even to remember events accurately. Since the brain needs to economize, it automatically fills in details of past and future experiences, while leaving other details out. It is also incapable of accurately imagining you in a different situation from the one you are in right now.

"The easiest way to overcome these shortcomings of the brain is to listen to the advice of others. Also, when planning for the future, remember that upon looking back, you will regret the things you did not do, while you will learn from any mistakes you made."

Subjects

Happiness