What the science of happiness says about the self and others | Aeon Essays
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What the science of happiness says about the self and others | Aeon Essays
We’ve been drilling deep into social dynamics, and we finally get to that one deeply human quality that makes all this possible. It’s called empathy. The ability to feel what another human being is feeling. All this complicated social psychology does not need to be explicitly understood. For high-empathy people, all this is natural. By participatin
... See moreVenkatesh Rao • The Gervais Principle: The Complete Series, with a Bonus Essay on Office Space (Ribbonfarm Roughs Book 2)
The “other people” part is more important than you might realize. That’s because the brain is innately – that is, neurochemically – motivated to care for and connect to other people. When you have a purpose, you satiate that innate desire – and your brain rewards you for it. The reactivity decreases in various regions of the brain, like the amyg
... See moreSteven Kotler • The Art of Impossible
"Our conventional sense of self is an illusion; positive emotions, such as compassion and patience, are teachable skills; and the way we think directly influences our experience of the world."
Sam Harriss • Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion
How might I find deeper happiness? The science points to an answer in the abstract: Find more community. Deepen your connections with others. Be with others in meaningful ways. Find rituals to organize your life. It will boost your happiness, give you greater joy, and even add ten years to your life expectancy, science suggests.
Casper ter Kuile • The Power of Ritual: How to Create Meaning and Connection in Everything You Do
But our culture drives us precisely in the wrong direction. We go to great lengths to promote individuality. We’re encouraged to adopt an independent view of ourselves. Not only do we view the individual as the fundamental unit of humanity, but we evaluate individuals at every turn and set people against one another with relentless competition. In
... See moreFrank Forencich • The Art is Long: Big Health and the New Warrior Activist
Sociality is the most powerful and explanatory element within the human psyche
Jonathan Bi • Lecture I: Introduction to Mimetic Theory | René Girard's Mimetic Theory
Human beings are fundamentally social animals. Behavioral economics and psychological research have taught us that we fundamentally crave a sense of connectedness, belonging, mission, and meaning, particularly when performing our work.
Jeffrey Bussgang • When Community Becomes Your Competitive Advantage
Yet I find myself captivated by the brain’s eagerness to become part of something bigger. We are equipped with a perceptual system ready to abandon the tight confines of our usual sense of self. We were born with brains able to craft a sense of connection to others that is as visceral as the feedback coming from your own heart, lungs, and muscles.
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