By Jonathan Haidt.
A good summary of the current state of positive psychology. It covers the research around the ways we find happiness and meaning in our lives. It struggles a little through the chapter on happiness from religion, but is still worth the read.
What do I want to remember from this book...
Stoicism and Buddhism are good pathways to happiness, but need to be updated for modern times. stoicism and Buddhism were most relevant when rulers, disease and other mishaps could and did regularly wipe out your family and fortune. In the modern world, things are more stable, we can make longer term plans, we can take greater risks to make us more happy.
There is a theory that our greatest leanings are from struggles, that unless we regularly face adversity, we don't grow.
Haidt also covers a centuries long trend that's switching the discussion of ethics morality from virtues and values, to conundrums. philosophy in the distant pass used to debate the virtue of hard work, or excellence, or honesty. Now it considers cases like "Is it OK to murder 1 person if you will save 10?" "Is it OK to keep the lost wallet of a man you know to be a thief?"
I think both perspectives are necessary. We have to anchor our actions on solid values, but cannot allow those values to become an excuse as to prevent us from solving important problems. From time to time our values will raise conundrums that must be dealt with.
Haidt also covers a centuries long trend that's switching the discussion of ethics morality from virtues and values, to conundrums. philosophy in the distant pass used to debate the virtue of hard work, or excellence, or honesty. Now it considers cases like "Is it OK to murder 1 person if you will save 10?" "Is it OK to keep the lost wallet of a man you know to be a thief?"
I think both perspectives are necessary. We have to anchor our actions on solid values, but cannot allow those values to become an excuse as to prevent us from solving important problems. From time to time our values will raise conundrums that must be dealt with.
No comments:
Post a Comment