Posts

The Science of Happiness: What Really Makes Us Happy?

Image
  Beyond the Pursuit of Pleasure Happiness is one of the most universal human goals. We want to be happy. We want our families and friends to be happy. Governments talk about quality of life. Businesses sell products promising happiness. Social media is filled with photographs of seemingly perfect lives. Yet happiness remains surprisingly difficult to define. Is happiness having money? A successful career? A loving relationship? Good health? Freedom? Security? A beautiful home? Travel? Fame? The science of happiness suggests that the answer is more complicated. Researchers who study happiness—often within the fields of psychology, neuroscience, behavioural economics and sociology—have increasingly found that lasting well-being is not simply about experiencing as much pleasure as possible. Instead, happiness appears to emerge from a combination of relationships, meaning, engagement, health, security, gratitude, autonomy and the way we interpret our lives . Perhaps ...
Post a Comment
Read more

What We Can Learn From the Past Without Living in It

Image
  There is an old saying that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. While the wording has been attributed to different writers over the years, the underlying idea remains remarkably relevant: the past has something to teach us. But learning from the past does not mean living in it. That distinction is becoming increasingly important in a world that changes at an extraordinary pace. Technology, social expectations, politics, culture and even the way we communicate have transformed dramatically within a single generation. At the same time, many people find themselves looking backwards with a sense of nostalgia, searching for something they believe has been lost. There is nothing wrong with appreciating the past. The problem begins when appreciation becomes idealisation. The Past Was Never as Simple as We Remember Nostalgia has a remarkable ability to edit history. We remember the music we loved, the television programmes we watched, the places w...
Post a Comment
Read more