What makes us happy

  

 

 

Let’s explore how flawed and biased 

the human mind is.

 

In this sentence biased means:

distorted, 

skewed, 

slanted,

predisposed

 

Let’s explore how flawed and biased 

the human mind is.

 

 

As humans we inaccurately judge 

what made us happy in the past,

 

we inaccurately judge

what will make us happy in the future 

 

and we even inaccurately judge 

what is making us happy
right at this moment.

 

 

In fact 

decades of research on happiness 

all points to 

the same unsettling fact.

 

unsettling means

cause to feel anxious or uneasy.

upsetting,

disturbing

 

In fact 

decades of research on happiness 

all points to 

the same unsettling fact

that 

happiness has little to do with 

what happens to us in our lives 

and more to do with 

how we end up choosing to see things.

 

 

 

happiness has little to do with 

what happens to us in our lives 

and more to do with 

how we end up choosing to see things.

 

 

Think of it this way:

We each have 

a psychological immune system.

We each have a system 

that protects our psychology.

A way to keep us protected 

mentally and emotionally.

We create a story in our minds. 

Basically a "bullshit generator".

We give meaning to the events 

in our lives.

We ascribe meaning to ….

We attribute _ to

We blame _ on.

We credit _ to, 

We chalk up _ to, 

We connect _ with, 

We associate _ with,

 

We assign meaning to 

the events in our lives.

 

Our minds 

explain away our past experiences.

explain away: 

minimize the significance of something.

give an excuse 

or justification for 

an embarrassing fact or action.

 

Our minds 

explain away our past experiences.

 

We create future projections.

 

We imagine ourself in a created future.

 

Our minds account for 

our current situations.

Our minds give a reason for 

our current situations.

 

We do this so that we always maintain 

a baseline level of mild happiness.

We do this so that we always hold on to 

a standard level of mild happiness.

 

When our bullshit generator 

breaks down…

When our psychological immune system fails,

we fall into depression.

 

Now, 

I know what you’re thinking right now…

You’re thinking,

“Wow, Chad… 

What a happy 

and motivating lesson this is!”

 

I’m just kidding…

It’s just something to think about.

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