Happiness Advntge Flashcards
How do ancient Greeks define happiness?
They define it as the joy you experience, when striving towards your potential.
Joy vs pleasure
Joy is something you feel even when life is not pleasurable. Even when working 18 hours to start your biz, it may not feel pleasurable but you’ll still feel joy. A long run for 10 miles, legs hurt and in pain but feel joy.
We are terrified of happiness bc we think it’ll make us complacent. But joy doesn’t do that.. What does?
What does joy do?
Pleasure makes you complacent.
Joy does the exact opposite. Joy fuels us to see our potential, explore the world and invest as deeply as possible in the ppl around us.
Joy makes you stronger and more resilient.
Rational optimism - describe two beliefs
Starts with realism. U don’t sugar coat the world.
- Maintains the belief that your behaviour matters if linked to the right ppl.
- Allows u to see the problems u need to fix - u don’t think their permanent and pervasive.
What are the biggest predictors of happiness?
It’s not your genes or environment that predict your level of happiness.
It’s the conscious choices you make - habits and mindset changes.
Gratitude, meditation, think of something positive happened, etc.
Positive psychology has shown what about your happiness set point?
That you can raise your happiness level above your genetic set point and in doing so raise your brain to the highest possible level.
We have the happiness success formula backwards. How?
Happiness leads to success. Always.
If we study what is merely average…
We will remain average
90% of long term happiness is based on
The way our brain processes the world.
If we change the formula for happiness/ success, we change the way we can impact the world.
75% of job performance is based on?
- optimism levels
- social support
- ability to see stress as a challenge instead of a threat
If I work harder I’ll be more successful and if I’m more successful I’ll be happier. This premise is scientifically broken and backwards - why?
If you raise positivity - what happens?
1) first every time u experience success, u change the goalpost of what success looks like. Hit sales target, need to change it. We need to reverse the formula.
2) if u can raise someone’s positivity in the present, then ur brain experiences a happiness advantage.
Ur brain at positive performs significantly better than when ur stressed, negative or neutral. Your intelligence, creativity and energy levels rise.
Every biz outcome improves. Ur brain is 30% more productive than when neutral, negative or stressed.
When ur positive, dopamine floods in ur system - not only does it make u happier but it turns on the learning Centers in ur brain.
Happiness needs this.
Impossible to sustain happiness without meaning.
Happiness without meaning is
Pleasure. You can have pleasure at your fingertips (chocolate) and not to be happy. Pleasure is ST / doesn’t last.
When happiness is disconnected from growth / meaning it..
Your happiness stagnates.. ex. Playing video games.
Everyone thinks if you’re successful you’re happy. Premise of Asian parenting. Shawn Archor turned this on its head. What’s the explanation?
Studies show that happiness leads to success. Success = happiness is scientifically broken and backwards. Why? Every time u achieve something the goal post moves so your brain doesn’t experience happiness for very long.
As your success rises in your life, your happiness flatlines. Flip around formula - get people to do these 3 things to be happier AND more successful:
- deepen breadth and depth of relationships
- raise their level of optimism
- see challenges as an opportunity versus threat
Happiness rises AND every single educational and biz outcome rises dramatically.
You can look around and see your education and job as a
Privilege and opportunity. Achor got into Harvard on a whim and felt privileged and lucky to be there versus feeling like a mistake. Ex. I was lucky to be in queens commerce full of rooms with incredibly smart ppl. Amazing opportunity to spend time with brilliant and motivated ppl
What is the biggest predictor of our individual happiness? How can you magnify your potential?
Our relationship with other people!
You can magnify your potential with the right social connections.
What is god?
Love - god is love. The more we love other people the more we bring god into this world
What is grace?
Grace is the recognition that I’m not judged by my actions or things going on in the world, but loved infinitely regardless.
DC - stop judging him and expecting more from him. Love him for him.
Diddo with dad and Val. And SC and BC. And JC.
Don’t judge yourself on where you are at with happiness. Give yourself grace that your behaviour eventually will matter but only if you’re linked with other ppl.
Happiness is a choice. But you are not judged by where you are now. If you’re not happy now, it’s not the end of the story for you. It’s okay. It’s not normal to be happy all the time
What is the purpose of the human experience?
Opportunity to choose love and to choose to do things that lead us towards love.
Want to feel happier?
Love the people and things in your life more. It feels amazing and that is what life is about.
Don’t take ppl for granted. We are all flawed. Practice compassion and focus on their positive traits.
When you dislike someone, practice compassion. It will allow you to understand them better and make you happier. Hating someone is not fun and helps no one.
