The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt

     Our group will be studying the book, The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt for the next 3 weeks.
     On Thursday, Feb 11 Todd  presented the first three chapters for discussion.

     Click on the light grey "Read More" below for a summary of the 2/11 discussion.

     The first chapter is called the Divided Self. The author states that our self and/or mind can be divided in many ways eg. the right brain and left brain; the mind vs our body; the old brain vs the new brain; and finally the controlled vs the autonomic. It is this last division that the author finds most illuminating. And he uses the idea of an elephant and its rider to illusstrate. The elephant represents all of our desires, and subconscious urgings. The rider is our conscious self that has a certain goal. That rider must be very emotionally intelligent to get that large wild beast, the elephant, to do as it wishes. Sometimes this involves training, sometimes trickery, sometimes manipulation, and sometimes the rider just must accept that the elephant is going to at times do as it pleases. This metaphor will be used throughout the book.
     The second chapter is entitled Changing Your Mind. The author discusses how negativity can overshadow everything else. He proposes that negative thoughts and images far outweigh positive ones in our mind's eye. Therefore it takes 5 or 10 positive thoughts, or acts to outweigh one negative thought or act. This is true in our own mind when perceiving the actions of others and it is true in how others react to us. The author also believes as evidence by various studies of identical twins that each of us has an affective style that determines our average or typical level of happiness. That level and style is inherited by the luck of the draw, in other words it is mostly in our genes. We can't change our genes, but it is possible to "change our mind."
     "You can change your affective style...., but you can't do it by sheer force of will. You have to do something that will change your repertoire of available thoughts." In other words, you can make some of the negative thoughts have less of an influence on you. This will affect your overall average happiness. There are three ways to do this: Meditation, which is probably the most important; cognitive therapy to change behaviors; and medications, such as Prozac. There is a place for the latter if indeed such meds will somehow change an underlying chemical mileau in the brain so that negativity and depression, and anxiety about these thoughts become less prominent and more positive thoughts can have their good affect. Each of these three methods can have effects on certain people. Therefore the author believes all three should be readily available, and utilized to help people have more happiness.
     The third chapter is entitled Reciprocity with a Vengeance. The author proposes that we are creatures of ultrasociability. As our brain size has increased, the number of other creatures like ourselves that we interact with has increased as well. And as we obtained language, our communications with each other have become complex and reciprocal. If you do something good for me, I will do somethng good for you. But in the inverse, if you stab me in the back, I will stab you in the backor maybe I will stab someone else in the back. In other words, what goes around comes around. Haidt suggests that while grooming each other kept our primate forebears in touch with each other, the develolpment of language replaced that grooming in humans. We talk with each other and what do we talk about to each other? We talk about each other to each other. We gossip. Gossiping serves the good purpose of keeping all of us in our contact group in touch with each other and our doings known when we are not close together. There will be good gossip and there will be bad gossip. Even the bad gossip serves a purpose. If it is false and malicious, the person spreading that gossip will be ostrasized by the group eventually. But still the language contact is very important to our wellbeing. Understanding how reciprocity is used by a salesperson who is trying to sell you something, or by the Hari Krishna in the airport can be very useful. First they give you something you might want and then they expect you to turn around and either buy from them or give them money. If indeed you recognize this manipulative act for what it is, you can turn it around --What goes around comes around --You can take the free gift, or information from the sales person or whatever it happens to be, accept it without guilt, but do not buy or give the money expected. That person is manipulating you so you are allowed to manipulate them.
     There are two very nice elements to this book. First it is very readable. Secondly the author uses both sacred writings from all traditions and scientific studies and evidence to support his proposals. Those in attendance all liked the book and are excited to proceed.
     Next week Dave will present Chapters 4-6.

Posted by Ann S.