Oct

13

The Science of Happiness: How Our Brains Make Us Happy-and What We Can Do to Get Happier by Stefan Klein

Excellent book! It teaches, if not the Formula, at least many of the “secrets of happiness”.

Here are some of the discoveries, words of advice that caught my attention:

The true smile is a real indication of well being, joy and we can really exercise to be happy: if we learn how to smile, we will feel better- there is a book which recommends that we put a smile on our face at the beginning of each day. The Japanese had the concept of fudoshin and ever present smile on the face.

Joy and repulsion take place in the body first.

We have a predilection for the tragic- this is why the news headlines contain bad news, horror stories...fear determined our ancestors to abandon any pray and take off, whenever there was clear danger.

Aristotle said: “Happiness is the result of activity”

The right side of the brain is more active during negative situations and the left side is more active when we feel joy, positive emotions.

We can repress our negative feelings by listening to audio books while driving.

With exercise we can switch off fury.

Letting off steam doesn’t help

One of the secrets of happiness resides in Controlling the negative emotions.

Philosophers exercise: each evening ask yourself if you have respected the principle: “carpe Diem”

Parking spaces: we worry, get angry over details like …parking places

At the end of the book, Stefan Klein writes a small summary, or perhaps the very formula:

·         The state of the body is in a tight connection with the spirit. Emotions have their origin in the body. Exercise and sex J are the surest methods to bring back well being

·         Activity makes us happier than inactivity. The advise; take a break”-when you’re feeling bad- should not be followed the brain controls in the same way thoughts, intentions and feelings. This is why, if we have no occupation, worries take over our brain. On the other hand, as soon as we set a goal, the anticipation system starts a feeling of pleasure, and every time we reach the goal, target we have a feeling of triumph. Activity determines almost automatically the starting of positive feelings.

·         When we are attentive, (in flow) we feel good, even if all we do is observing things around us. Many times, concentration is comes with Positive Feelings. This light ecstasy is like anticipated joy. The pleasure obtained by concentration can be Exercised!

·         Negative emotions, like anger or sadness, do not go away if we give them free reign, but, on the contrary, become more powerful. The Habit of letting emotions break off occasionally is very Damaging! The theory according to which this letting steam off of psychic energy has been proven wrong! It is possible and beneficial for the emotional equilibrium – to control consciously your emotions

·         Variation brings pleasure. The anticipation system gets numb when it is overwhelmed by pleasant sensations and gives way to a vicious circle of desire and recompense. If we change more frequently the centers of interest, we avoid Habit. By learning to appreciate, value the unknown and to look at familiar things from new perspectives, we maintain intact our will, pleasure to live.

·         Free will is many times more important than fulfilling desires. The control over our own destiny represents for most of us the condition sine qua non of happiness and satisfaction. The feeling of Helplessness is one of the most unbearable feelings. People, like animals, manifest in these situations a disturbance of physical and mental health. Better than pay with dependence the fulfillment of desires (for instance by debts) we better choose Freedom!