In one of the most popular Ted Talks ever produced, Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert asked a simple question: Would you rather win $314 million in the lottery, or would you rather lose the use of both of your legs in an accident? Seems like a simple answer, right? But according to Gilbert:
“A year after losing the use of their legs, and a year after winning the lotto, lottery winners and paraplegics are equally happy with their lives.”
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Here’s another story: Pete Best was the original drummer for The Beatles until they snuck away and picked up Ringo on a tour—which must’ve sucked for Best. “Well, in 1994, when Pete Best was interviewed,” Gilbert says, mentioning that Best is still a drummer and a studio musician, “he had this to say: ‘I’m happier than I would have been with The Beatles.’”
You might be asking, “How could those answers possibly be true?”
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It comes down to something interesting Gilbert gleaned from his research: Happiness can be synthesized. When something goes wrong in our lives or we don’t get what we want, our brains will subconsciously change our view of the world so we can feel better about our situation. Although most of us view happiness as something that is found, Gilbert argues that we have the ability to manufacture our own happiness. And what’s more is that synthetic happiness is just as strong has the same quality as natural happiness.
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Curated article from:
Ted
