Dan Gilbert – Author of ‘Stumbling on Happiness’ – Tells Us Why We Are Happy!

Are you happy with your life? Do you think you could be happier? Do you wish you could be happier? If you answered yes to any of these questions or have just pondered the seemingly elusive idea of true happiness, check out the book Stumbling on Happiness by Dan Gilbert.In this insightful and humorous book, Gilbert brings up some revolutionary aspects to the idea of happiness most of us have. Gilbert does not agree that we won’t be happy if we don’t get what we want. He would argue that our “psychological immune system” allows us to be happy even if things don’t go according to plan. Gilbert, a Harvard psychologist, believes that what we think will make us happy is actually wrong much of the time. He provides compelling research, humor, and accessibility to support this theory.

watch Gilbert Talk about Happiness at TED

Besides using clinical research from psychology and neuroscience, however, Gilbert draws experience and expertise from his own life. At the age of 19, Gilbert was a high school dropout who aspired to become a science fiction writer. Upon finding out that the creative writing class at his community college was full, though, he decided to enroll in the only other available class, psychology. And the rest, as they say, is history. Gilbert went on to earn his doctorate in social psychology at Princeton. He has won a Guggenheim Fellowship, as well as the Phi Beta Kappa teaching prize.

His engaging delivery, pop culture references, and relevant ideas make Stumbling on Happiness a must-read that everyone can relate to and enjoy.

‘Research suggests that people are typically unaware of the reasons why they are doing what they are doing, but when asked for a reason, they readily supply one,’ Gilbert said.

If you want more out of life, want to find out how you can be happier, or even just want a funny, educational read, check out Gilbert’s bestselling Stumbling on Happiness.

How do you define happiness? What are some of the things in life that make you happy?