Stumbling on Happiness

28 Pages·2013·3.21 MB·English

Stumbling
on Happiness

DANIEL GILBERT
CHAPTER 2

The View from in Here

Pau. O. hus ftuse a sing ic is ts Fk ieee hase
rhrsau another mans ey

Shutkespeare, Ss Fane Like ts

LORI AND Reps SCHAPPEL may be teins, Dut chey are veey dite
Feranr pacysle, Rebs is a somenbat shy ieerniater ohi: ha receded

ana sanery masic. Lor, who is outgoing,

arinwinning atbum of co
wisecracking, ond rather fund uf strawberry caxcris, works it ¢
hospisai ard wants sorted:

to marry ang have ch’lirer. They occa
sionall

sg, a8 sisters do, ut most of che time they get om weil
complimenting, each ther, teasing each other andl Jiuishings each
here ars just twa unusnal things ahont
Lori and Keba, ‘ke first is chat they share a blood supply, part vf &
skull. and some brain tissue, having hee joined at the forehead
since di:th, Une side of Lori's fozchcad is attacked to on side ot

oraer’s sentences. In za

Reburs, aml they have speat every morien: of Uteic Uses Jacke

togathen, faceerfaee, Tae second sinus

I thing adcur Tei and

oba is thar chev are happy—not mexely r2 cl but

ign

joyisl, phaylu’, and wosimustic.! Their erusual Tig presents many
challenges. of course, but as they often note, whose docsn't? When
asked abust.the possibslity af wudergoiug surgical separation, Rebs
speaks far beth of them

ur point af vies i6 ret, straight ou no.

ld you waat to do that? Hor all dhe money in Chine, why?
Yau" be euininy to fives in she process.”*
So hao’ che question: UE chis were yous life eather chan theirs
H yor said, *fovfu’, pleyful, and

ther you ars not piayi
1

ankwer is “Deyoondeut, d

how would yor le

otiaistic.”

the name and Tam going to give yom

anacker chance. ‘Iry co be hemest instead of correct. The hanes

sperats, anal depcesseel,” Ind

lear thar no “ght mended person could really be aappy uucher such

circamstarces, waich ‘s why the convensicnal medical wistom hae it

that corre twits shueld be 9
killing «:
singl

w birth, even ar the risk of

crbosk, Aca arominent-neihes historian wrote: *Mary

civable shat lite is worth

rons, especatly surgeons, find ie incon
heiig gs a sunjoined vin, -reoncereable that one would not be wil

ing ro ris all reproductive ablty. the lies ne or bush

reins uy sor separacion. "sin other words, noc on'y doss every
ene kina shar oajiined icone wil! be dramatically Sess Rappy than

normal gcople, hur crerynne alco knesvs thar sonjained iives ars

telterly worthless shat dangers

.s separation sargcries are an

imperatice. And yet, cranding against thy backdrop of our cereciney
about chesy meters arc che rsvins themselves. When we ash Lori arud
Reha how thiey lect abu: cher stuscion, they ceil us thar they
wonda’t have ‘pang nrhar way, In ant exhaustive sutrch of dhe meati=
euLneracnre, the seine medics. historian ford eae *éesive to remain
ng conjoined ewins
ing is servis wrang, hese,

ogerrer te be 60 widespread amesg,

ically wniversal.” Some

as te be ps
But whan?

Thote seem co he jus: tw: ossibilties, Sureon:—vicher Lori
dis meleing a dreadful mise
out happiness, Beceuse we ar

and Roba, o¢ everyoac else in the

take when shep alk 3

else in question, ir fs anty nanval rhar we should be attracted to #3
§ she *
offhand rejpenders sich as “Oh, they're just suviag 0

river voncusen, distissing ins’ claim to hapniness with

has” or hoy

way think they're kaspy, buc they're tor” ar che exer doputar “Thee
dov't knusw oka: luippiness really is” tasually spoken as if we de
Fair cnough. Bat like a

ais. daims—sciendiic claims and. philesorhie

iain they disnss, shese egjoinders

f claims that pre
ses and philoso,
bout when we make

sume smiswers 20 questions chat have vexed so
eee

phers for mitiennis, Whar are we all sa

such Gaitns aboat 3

Ther
Py as
app
dirs

noth:

inc

often
elas

Fino
that
brat
and i

anot!

wos!
thing
The View

vam bn Here

Dancing Mhout Architecture

by asking what aapomess re

cro ars thousands of hooes on happiness, aad most of them
is. As readers cickls learn, this is
by marching

approsinately equivaley’ le beginning, & pilgrimage

dirsctly irra the first available tar px, becaase happiness really is

acthng more or ‘evs taan 4 word that we word makers ean Use 16

embeare anythin wr please. The problem is te: nenple
different things.
st which sev-

pleased to use this ene word ta iacicate ao:

runelogical

waich 34s created a ctemendou

vers Rave buen based. Th

eral lige seholuely es slops around in

ric mess long enough. ore comes co sce chat most disagroemeats

are semaciie drsagrsousits bw

abou: what happinss rev

eeigther the sernd sazhs ta he asec le inginate gus ov dhae, cacker

than sciensific a

ilosophieal disagraemenes about the ature of

ais emu Pht, Whar are chy He and shy that slat happivess most

lien relers in? The wind bappestess is nied ce indicate at case thet

related chings, witch we mraghe covgaly call enstienl buliiress

moral bupbiness, aun pelyrsenial baypiness

Veeling Happy

Fenutional happiness is the mica basic of the ro-~so hake faces
ome rongne-tied wher wy try to define it, as thou suaue

‘pratey chile Lal just challenged us to say wha: the wus the means

anal fi he process made a truly compelli corporal pais
mene. Emotional kappiness is « phrase for a
sbleciive state, ams. thus has mis objective referent in the pb
ite
amotker plane: feelings, we wou'd either
pois. othe objects in the world rice rend sa bring ic cdour, or we
veoulé mension ocher feelings that itis Lhe, fn faci. this “5 the ony

perience, 4

pub cad met an alien

ambled denn to che cor

who asked ss te d

shing we cerdo shen we sre askuil qslsiine a suldleccive e«perience

ance, how we might define a very simple sebjec-
as yellow, Yox may chink yellow is color, but
snare. Fe ig whar hurmaa beings wich work.

Consider, for inst

iu sats, Tes a peycheiogicn
ng visval apparatus experieisce when their eyes are struck ‘sy igh:
veith a wavelength of s8¢ mmo:
asked us ta define whar ove cere experiencing wher we claimad co
be sasing would peobably start by pointing to a schocd
besa honor, a ra: The

HE pur ake leiceid at Ce pl

vcr ducky, and saying, "See ail those thin

Fhingy that is cimsne tis the visual experiences you have waet

snk ar them is called yellore.” Or we might ey to define the expeti-
woes “Velie? Wel tis

ence called pelle in: cervas of uther exper

sort of lke re experience of orange, with a

xperi
nes of red." If the alien confided shat ir could at Sgare our wha:

de deck, dhe lesmur, and che scless! buy Tea in eure al thai
raul naver had the experience a orarge or reg, then it woul be cine
so onder another pint and change the copie ro cke ante

of ice hockey, tecarse there ig insi no othee way in deine yelir

sport

Philossphers tice eo say
which is vo sap thar nothing «
Vicar with nal ran

1 subjective states are ‘isreduciisie,

ching we ean sunpare
we com say about thei weurological inde

ponaings iy substicuce for the experiences themselves.»
musician Ekawk Zeopa os repoted ny have sal Jas weriomy sbuut
mus # like dancing, ahr architsocurs, and so i is with talking
aboot yelow if our new driuking buddy fzcks che mactinery for

colar eiduy Chey uur experience sl yellow is one Hat it wil. never

shars--or never know if shares-—ra matter how well we poine and.

talk,
Fmetianal happiness #8 lise thar, Tes fhe éesling cormmor to the

gx we have when we see our new grandéaaghter staile for ck

disst dime, recavy word oi a promatiud, bel a wayward suucat liad

he ase msieun, taste Belgian ehnentate coward che hack of oar
tongue, iahaly che scoat of our Jover’s shampoo, bear that song we
Used Uo lke so cre! ju higg sehvol but haven't here iv years, toc
fal of

oar check te ieiteen fur. cure cancer, or get a reztly good snoot

cueaize, ‘These feelings are different, of course, bue they also have

someching, in co-rennn. A pigce of real esiate is not Fie Same &s a

share of fyatall a
forms of wealth that occepy differser pomts una sce of
Similars, the cosine experiance is AG Me killen-fat experience,

which is noe tte promotioa =

which ‘s nor the same as an eance of go:

nce, but all are forras 0

cing
The View from in Hove

that occupy differen: points nw a scale uf bappiness: 12 cach of these
instaaces, an cacouncer with something in'he work! geverates &
and ches ir ms ces sense

roughly simular pastern of neural
that chere is spmerhing cimmust to our experiences of each—some
to group ths
lodgepodue: af occurrences sogether in che same lingnisric caregory

that

voncepeual cohereny as leé haman

for as long. as anyone «an remeraber Jewoed, when researchers ana
Jezs how ail the words in a language are related us the uchers, Ue
» fd that
eter 19 the experience af kappiness or a

ofthe words rat

happiness-~
is che single most hmportane dererminaret gf chem
Despite Tolssery’s fin
cleseis velared rv

it han its 14 fete,

is the sou Lnow-wratTemesn leviing, Wyu ate
a hurnane being sho lives 2: this century and shares some ef n'y cal
tucal condition:ng, then: my pointing anid ewenparing eal! have been
cflective and you will kee exactly shich éeeling Trea. F you are

an align whe ts stil seuguling with vellesw, chen kappiness ie goirg

to be a cal crailerge. But take heart weil be sinitaziy dallenged

if yeu told me that on your planet these is 2 “eeling commer vo the
toree, banging oae's bead lights on a

doorknob, and releasing rhythmic huess af nizeagen frort any ai

of dividing. cuniber

Id have nea idca what that

aang lise except on Fuesday, Le

Zeeling s,and T sou'd oxly learn tie marie and “loge to use it politely

ac vorversation, Because emecional happiress ‘san epernesice, st

can sinly he apron innurely deine! oy 2s a

<eéeuns and by ies sola

i abeat

ton co other experionces.s The por Aiexane Pope dev
say te Mawr to th

a quarter of his £ pic a happiness, aul era

vladod with this question: "Who thus celine it,
less

s #Taan this, that hanpiness is happiness?™¢

Farcatininal fi

pleas tay cesist our ef%erts 0 tame ic by de

tion, but when we feet il, se hues ui lobe about is reality and ies
inpportaace. Lyeryore who hes observed humaa behavior lor rire
than thisty cominuons seconds sears co have noticed

haz penp.e

s even primarily, nerhaps ever sn
pr If tae
beings wha prefer despair io delight, Irusteationt ty satisfaccios, anid

ary strongly, ps uindedly,

inptivaied 1p feel hs

c Eas ever bocn a group of kuman
pain so plessute, they caus: be wney goa et Piding because wet one
hae ever sean then. niall she orker things
ally meant to he means eo chat end, Len when

stontetn—ly thet

aple sant no he happy.

the
people forge kappiness in che
when they could be sleeping they a
ce ots future yseld. ‘The dictions:
tu prefer is “tu choose or went one shiney rather Usa

fuest Uisy could

he eating, of werking ly

usual’y doing So in order co incre

relis us tb

anchor Deranse i wesed be snore pleasant,” vehich ie 4 say that ube

ion of éesire, Ln chis

ry sein

persuic of happiness is buil: ine che 6
cease, a preference for par und sufferings svat so anuch « digumus-
abie paychsatvie condition as ic is an oxs moron,

Psychologisss have traditionally made seriviag vawand happiness

thy cemerresue te her thepries a hunuan bebavior heciuse they

have Found that if they don’. their meories deus'e work sc well. As

Sigmund I rexd wrote

The question. of eae purpose of human fife has bea ratsed

soumrlees Sveti has woven yt evel a vitactory uuswer
We will thereto Lar

and pechaps
less aminous question of wher men show by chair
veh ‘or 10 be che porpuse und mtecsion of thes lives. Whe
do cacy demand of life ane. wish to achieve in it# The anse

ve this can hardly be a doubt, Uhoy stvive after happi
af 1g becrsne happy and to retain so, This ed

fay ewo sides, a pusisive and a aim. te aims, an the

one hind, at an abseuce of sue, amc, on,

sins ani displ

she orher. at che experiencing of strerig feelings of plensure."
Freud was ar artoulate Uhampron vf tis ide bet nu us orignatos,
and ¢:
eyche

ne ahservagan appears in some Ferm at aracher in the
logical theories of Plato, Aristrtic, Lobhes, Mill, Bentham,
ans) thers. The philisupher ang watheracician Blaise Pascal was

especially clea: an th's point

All men seek happiness. This is witioct esceplion. Whatever
all tend se chis end. The

ind of ochors avoiding ty is

differenc means they employ, th
gong

te wat,

suse of som

M
The View from in Here

the same desie# ins bith, attended wish differear views. The

veil never takes che lease ale hut tw this object, ‘Ibis is th

anutive vf every action of every maa, even al these whe hung
themselves."

Feeling Happy Beoause

Ti every thinker on every comtucy kas cceognized char penple seek

emotional aappiness, then ‘Sew bay si much confusion azisen 0
che raeaning of the
enasider the desire for hap.

ord? One af che penblenss is that “nanny paoole
ss en bo a bic lie the desire lor a

sowel movement: something we all uve, but nec some

sing of

which we should be especialy proud. The kind af happiness they

anid base—2 vacanns srate of “bovine soneent=
jy de she basis wf a meanmggul kuman
van Sta

have sa and ws skeap:

mene" exe cannot presi
Iie, As che philosophe:
human being digsatistied than a pg serisficd: bee:
ed chon a fo

Jerent opinion, at is bocavs

2 Mill wro:e, “Tig better to be at

to he Snevaces

lissazisis sitistied. Aad © the inol, or the Dig, ae

they only cnow rheir awn de ol the
gitestinn."
The

oi this beliet by desert

aiosopker Robert Novick cried tp Phustzate the abuyuty
ficy machine thar
ricsice they chose, aad that

ig a fictitious vistual-

would ailow avyone to have any ex

wou'd sonvenierly cxase them to fo

ct that they were hunks
ap to the machine's He concluded that no one woald wilingly
choose co ge hoowed up for che resr of his lie because the happiness
ihe wou'd experence with such ¢ machine woud not be happiness at
all, “Someone whose emotion is based upon egcegious:y unjustified
and faise evaluations we weil be relucea? ro rem haps, howewer he
feels,""# Tn short, emotional rappiness is Hine fr pige, bs
atures. as soph
Now; fet’s tke a momeat co think abort che diffiult sosicion

ie goal

uaworthy of cn jeated and capable as we.

thar someone who holds :his view iy in, and les guess how chey

aight resolve ic. If you consicered ic perfectly stag sor life wo be

aimed at vuthing, wore subscancive and significant chan a feeling

and yer yon coald nar help hur notice sha: aeople spead thee days

ht you he tempted ro esnelude?
spines

seeking aappiness, chen what mi
Bingo! You might

tempted to conclude chaz the ward bs
does no: indicate a good feeling bu rather caat it indie
chal jrounl fnetizug that cau uatly be prod

avery spe

Tor example, 2p living one’s fife in & poy
sich, Socracie, and non-piglike
fects aue wouldn't be ashame

g marth mieainyglul, deep,
vay. Mow that wontd he the ind of
acs, the Grecks bad
2 word for this icind of happrnese~ -etedutrmon

a-mwhich transhates

literally as “good spite” baz which probably meane samething more

like “hme Neurshing” ae “Lie well Tivedl ” Lor Socrates, Plate
Aristotle, Ci
Pigaish happiness), the only thing that could induce thac ic

he erious pertonatus of one’s dusies, wit che

re, and sven Epicurns fa ning usually assoeieted wily

ad ol

precise meaning of efttuons lett for szch phiinsopher 19 work ort lor

yinocll, ‘Lbe ancient Athenian Igislecar Solon, suggested ehat ane
steak nit say that a perso persons life had

ended
tialeud be

happy antil Ui

sanse hagpi tess is the resale nf living up 16 ene’s poten

can we raake suck a judgment antil we see how the

sshole thing urns ont? A few centusies inter, Chrstien Uneolageans

addled «nifty twist to this classical coneeptiun: Happiness #8 1
snetely Un: Braver of a Hife of vertue but the rereiral for a life of

vireve, and shat reward seas not necessarily to be ep
erizuc

Fornca thousand years pilesophers have fet coinpelled ea idea
‘uly happiness with wires bocause cha is che goer of hapysinese rhey

thiuk tu waut, And analy he they're righe, But if Jiving on

life virraonsly isa cause of happiness, tig vot hepriness aged sae st

y00d to ebfiscace a discussion by calling beth the cause

ne tie: comsecquence by Uke sare uaure, I can prodace pain by prick=

ing your finges with a pineir dy electrically srmulatings a particuler

spot in your brain, and the eva pains will be identical taclings po

Cured by dillerer: meas, kt would de es no good e call the

of

these seal pain anc che ocker fake pans, Pain és pain, no matter what

cuss 2. By souddhng eavses ard consequence,

losophers have

clo cpnetenet ‘ature dels of some uy astonishing
thaca N.

i war eriminsl whn is basking on

Ai fs mux really happy, whereas chy pioas mis

sis, “Tlapoiness will nor
coneary xc. Thoseerer much i
e View From in Here

enent inay be adrnized for

is carture neie, buat ir

pend ure the sentiments of the adssionary whe was

drafted to play the role of the on!

Aiappivess is a word that we gene

ertee ans] not the cigtions: that OTe tole Does st inake any sense

say, “After a day spent kiing, his paresis, Fran’ way hay ay
Indecd ic docs, We hope there never was such a person, wt the ser
rence is grammatical, wel! Jormed, ane easily snderseond. Lrank is s
sick puny, dur if he says he is hapny ars he looks Lappy; is there «

Doss ir male ang sease ro 5

principsed reason co doube him

vise lappy ts beat s coma"? Ny, uf course nos, IF Sac is uncon

scious, she eanaot be happy se matter hiw inary good deeds sie

hofars calamity struc. Or how aout th s ane: “The conpurer

cheyed all Ter Commandments and was happy as a clam"?

sinry, hut na, There 85 some seme possibiiey tha clams cait be

happy Secouse there is some remoee poss bility rar clans have the

capacity to feel. Here any by sumetising it iy “ike eo he 6 clam, act

ane fairly ceeraiv: chee there :s uetuieny “1 is ihe 1p be a gon

nattee tee

purer, and Aozce the compares ccnaot be happy

inary Lin urighbor’y whey "Lbilad to wuvet™ lTappiness refers ta

feelings, virtue relers co actions, and rose setions cat: caus
feelings. Bur not accessarily and not exclusively

Peeling Leppy About

civar. feeling is what peosly ordinarily mean

marddled cke mote. and emoziunal meanings of the woed bap

Press, ther psychuluuisss have weddled the cmnecionad and yds
meatal meanings equasly well and oftes For examsle,
persu says, “Allis all, ins napoy a

Psyesologis are general y willing le grant Crab te person is haps

bout the way ang life has gon.”

es use the word happy co
things, such as when they
the lirle bastard abe gmoke my wind:
gs Hike this even vaca ch ot feeling
sure, Eluw du we kuow when
person is expressing a goint of wes sather thar making a clain

Vine proate
express ther bekefs aboot
say, “T'm happy rhey cang!
shivid” and th

i chat penple somecim

say thi

anylitiog: vaguely resemble: