We are happiest at our weakest

So I have a bit abandoned my Flirting with Red Balloons project, but I find this talk applies so well, that I wanted to include it in the collection. It is not a recipe for happiness. It is simply a philosophy of how happy people think and act.

We're all going to die!!

Marketing people always push their boundaries in their continual search to attract more and more customers. This following example, though I don't think I'm going to buy in (courtesy of student budgets), made me laugh and ponder (which always gains brownie points in my book):

Awesome isn't it? I kind of wish I didn't have years of tuition in front of me to pay... otherwise, I would jump on the first plane to Brussels or Vienna or (gasp) Prague. But hey, if the world does end on the 21st then I guess I don't need to worry about that do I? Yeahhh.... wishful thinking!

But leaving aside marketing-induced impulsive behavior and whether the world will end (or not) in a week and a half, I think that this is a good opportunity to take a moment (now that I can actually afford to do that) and reflect on what is important, to see the big picture on what we have accomplished, on what we want to accomplish, to show the people in our lives that they are important to us and that we appreciate them. Even if  our lives continue past December 21st, they are still short in the grand scheme of things and it's never too early (or too late) to start working on your life, on who you want to be and to just smile and say thank you. So here's my bucket list for the upcoming end of the world:

1) Say thank you to everyone who has endured me during the good and the bad times, who picked me up when I was at my worst, who encouraged me when I thought it was pointless, who inspired me to go on, who made me smile and laugh, who went along with my madness.

2) See the Geminid meteor shower on December 13th. Please clouds be nice and stick this one out.

3) Apply to university and go back to my first love: science.

4) Get a new phone!! I can't believe I managed to tough this one out for 4 and a half years...

5) Exercise

6) Go to a JMSB party. They say that we have the best parties in town. Well I'm ashamed to say that after 3 years here, I still haven't been to any... So I missed Frosh, I missed the Halloween parties, but I'm not going to miss the end of semester party!

7) Research the subject of illusion of control in communist economies.


So there it is! I think it's more than enough for less than 2 weeks. Oh no, wait I forgot one:

8) Restart my Flirting with Red Balloons project on the different theories of happiness. Yep! I'm back!


My personal opinion is that you only live fully when your bucket list becomes your to do list. Maybe I should make that my philosophy for next year haha!

Happy last weekend before the end of the world!

Red balloons are starting to lose air

I've kind of failed to keep up with the schedule that I imposed on myself on this project. And it probably won't get any better in the next month. What can I say? School's a "witch with a b" right now. BUT I will finish this project before the end of the year! Even if it means doing a post every day during the month of December! Which will probably be the case... So I officially announce that my weekly posts are postponed until December 9th.

 

Free fall or how a busy schedule forces you to postpone

I am ashamed to say that today I have nothing. My exams and projects are cramming so much of my time that I haven't had any time to research any new theory this week. So I guess that all I can offer right now is a promise for a 2 for 1 deal next week. And I can leave you with this wisdom freshly squeezed from my personal experience during the past couple of days:

Happiness is finding the courage and strength to do what has and is needed to be done at the expense of what you actually want to do. Happiness is finding within you the power to follow your instincts and swallow your pride. Happiness is making someone else laugh when they need it the most. Happiness is being at your lowest and being able to gain perspective. Happiness is being able to say yes more often than you say no.

Dan Gilbert - The surprising science of happiness

So part two of my little project brings a bit of merit to the age old phrase "All is for the best in the best of all possible worlds". I don't know if it's a philosophy on giving up, but in any case it brings some insights into the physiology of happiness. Dan Gilbert is a professor and researcher at Harvard in the department of psychology and he spent many years looking into the concept of happiness. And here is a talk he did for TED. Absolutely brilliant!

 

James Montier - If it makes you happy: The Psychology of Happiness

I'll start with already done research.

James Montier is an investment analyst working for Société Générale and he has written numerous articles about the stock market and behavioral finance. But he also wrote an article on what his idea of happiness involves and it breaks down to 10 rules to follow. His complete article can be found here.

• Don’t equate happiness with money. People adapt to income shifts relatively quickly, the long lasting benefits are essentially zero.
• Exercise regularly. Taking regular exercise generates further energy, and stimulates the mind and the body.
• Have sex (preferably with someone you love). Sex is consistently rated as amongst the highest generators of happiness. So what are you  waiting for?
• Devote time and effort to close relationships. Close relationships require work and effort, but pay vast rewards in terms of happiness.
• Pause for reflection, meditate on the good things in life. Simple reflection on the good aspects of life helps prevent hedonic adaptation.
• Seek work that engages your skills, look to enjoy your job. It makes sense to do something you enjoy. This in turn is likely to allow you to flourish at your job, creating a pleasant feedback loop.
• Give your body the sleep it needs.
• Don’t pursue happiness for its own sake, enjoy the moment. Faulty perceptions of what makes you happy, may lead to the wrong pursuits. Additionally, activities may become a means to an end, rather than something to be enjoyed, defeating the purpose in the first place.
• Take control of your life, set yourself achievable goals.
• Remember to follow all the rules.

Flirting With Red Balloons project

Yesterday I was talking about perfection and how it could be counter productive to the pursuit of happiness. And this morning I remembered an article I read a couple of weeks ago by James Mortier called "If it makes you happy: The Psychology of Happiness" where he gives 10 rules to follow for a happy life. And though I don't think that one article has all the answers to this very thorny question (not to mention that we are all different and we don't all have the same recipe for happiness), it might hold part of the equation.

Whether you're religious or not, whether you're young or old, whether you have a Ph.D. or you can't even read, no matter who you are and what you do, pursuing happiness is in a sense your life's quest. Sartre said that as human beings we are responsible for our own lives. And because, when we come into this world, the universe doesn't hand us any script or particular purpose, it is our job to find a purpose and a place in the world for ourselves. Pursuing happiness seems like as good a purpose as any to me. Plus, when you break it down, every life goal comes down to an honest shot at happiness. Whether you're trying to save the world or just doing a 9 to 5 job and then coming home to your cat. The only problem is that sometimes we get sidetracked and lost in the nitty gritty details and we forget to look at the big picture.

So here's the thing. Right now, I need a hobby other than watching stupid TV series (wretched habit... almost like letting someone else live your life for you). And since I'm constantly doing research about the stock market, might as well throw in some research on how to be happy. Therefore, I had this brilliant (or insane depending on how you look at it) idea. We have exactly 12 weeks left until the end of the year. So every week, I'll post a theory or philosophy about happiness. And to complete the loop on the scientific method, starting next year, I'll test each one of them during one month and then post my evaluation of it. I do realize that this methodology is inherently flawed from inception as some theories might take more than 30 days of experimentation in order for the full effect to be seen. However, I'll include that in my evaluation and adjust as I go. Also, some theories might include elements kind of hard to test out under present circumstances (such as fall in love and start a family). Well, I'll deal with it when I get there. This project might be a total failure. But at least I tried it out.

So here it is! 3000 years of philosophy and self help books condensed in speed dating style. And to be cheesy until the end, let's call this project Flirting With Red Balloons (not the best title I ever came up with but I have other things to do today than ponder upon this question... soooo shall we say subject to revision?)