For Happiness, Moral Character is More Important Than Intelligence or Money
Rob Hendersonrobkhenderson.substack.com
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For Happiness, Moral Character is More Important Than Intelligence or Money
Aristotle was among the first to recognize that there are at least two ways to pursue happiness. He called one “eudaimonic”—in harmony with one’s good (eu) inner spirit (daemon)—and the other “hedonic”—aimed at positive, in-the-moment, inherently self-centered experiences. Aristotle clearly took a side on the issue, deeming the hedonic life primiti
... See moreAngela Duckworth • Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Arthur thinks of it like food:
The macronutrients of happiness are enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning.
Main dishes are faith, family, and friends.
BUT this happiness is declining in the US by ~0.5% on average each year.
I’ve come to believe that upward social mobility shouldn’t be our priority as a society. Rather, upward mobility should be the side effect of far more important things: family, stability, and emotional security for children. Even if upward mobility were the primary goal, a safe and secure family would help achieve it more than anything else. Conven
... See moreRob Henderson • Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class
People want to become wealthier to make them happier. Happiness is a complicated subject because everyone’s different. But if there’s a common denominator in happiness—a universal fuel of joy—it’s that people want to control their lives.
Morgan Housel • The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness
Values and morals have the power to override a human’s innate drives. Where traits like honesty, integrity, generosity, propriety, respect, loyalty, or kindness are valued, people will behave differently than where they’re not.
Tim Urban • A Story of Stories
In picking people for long-term relationships, values are most important, abilities come next, and skills are the least important. Yet most people make the mistake of choosing skills and abilities first and overlooking values. We value people most who have what I call the three C’s: character, common sense, and creativity.