Comments on: Is the Flat Trend in Self-reported Happiness a Problem? http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/12/30/is-the-flat-trend-in-self-reported-happiness-a-problem/ The Sweet Release of Reason Tue, 22 May 2012 20:28:45 +0000 hourly 1 By: sesso http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/12/30/is-the-flat-trend-in-self-reported-happiness-a-problem/#comment-7229 sesso Sun, 29 Apr 2007 04:06:07 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=866#comment-7229 <strong>sesso...</strong> news... sesso…

news…

]]> By: Biopolitical http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/12/30/is-the-flat-trend-in-self-reported-happiness-a-problem/#comment-7228 Biopolitical Sat, 31 Dec 2005 11:45:31 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=866#comment-7228 <strong>Happy New Year</strong> I wish people enjoy more freedom to trade, move and create wealth next year. Be happy! Happy New Year

I wish people enjoy more freedom to trade, move and create wealth next year. Be happy!

]]> By: Farsam http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/12/30/is-the-flat-trend-in-self-reported-happiness-a-problem/#comment-7227 Farsam Sat, 31 Dec 2005 08:59:18 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=866#comment-7227 <a href="http://wilber.shambhala.com/html/books/psych_model/psych_model1.cfm/" rel="nofollow">"Many people in these societies are at or near their hedonic limits. (Note: I think it may be possible for some people to push the limits through the right combination of diet, exercise, meditation, counseling, adventure, simplification, etc. But there are many others for whom this kind of stuff is pretty much impossible without fundamentally altering the kind of person they are. And I think most people, once they hit a certain threshold, are happy enough that they could just care less about further maximizing the positive qualitative character of their background affect. Dharma just wasn’t that much better off than Greg, once he loosened up a little.)"</a> “Many people in these societies are at or near their hedonic limits. (Note: I think it may be possible for some people to push the limits through the right combination of diet, exercise, meditation, counseling, adventure, simplification, etc. But there are many others for whom this kind of stuff is pretty much impossible without fundamentally altering the kind of person they are. And I think most people, once they hit a certain threshold, are happy enough that they could just care less about further maximizing the positive qualitative character of their background affect. Dharma just wasn’t that much better off than Greg, once he loosened up a little.)”

]]> By: Farsam http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/12/30/is-the-flat-trend-in-self-reported-happiness-a-problem/#comment-7232 Farsam Sat, 31 Dec 2005 08:59:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=866#comment-7232 <a href="http://wilber.shambhala.com/html/books/psych_model/psych_model1.cfm/" rel="nofollow">"Many people in these societies are at or near their hedonic limits. (Note: I think it may be possible for some people to push the limits through the right combination of diet, exercise, meditation, counseling, adventure, simplification, etc. But there are many others for whom this kind of stuff is pretty much impossible without fundamentally altering the kind of person they are. And I think most people, once they hit a certain threshold, are happy enough that they could just care less about further maximizing the positive qualitative character of their background affect. Dharma just wasn’t that much better off than Greg, once he loosened up a little.)"</a> “Many people in these societies are at or near their hedonic limits. (Note: I think it may be possible for some people to push the limits through the right combination of diet, exercise, meditation, counseling, adventure, simplification, etc. But there are many others for whom this kind of stuff is pretty much impossible without fundamentally altering the kind of person they are. And I think most people, once they hit a certain threshold, are happy enough that they could just care less about further maximizing the positive qualitative character of their background affect. Dharma just wasn’t that much better off than Greg, once he loosened up a little.)”

]]> By: Gil http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/12/30/is-the-flat-trend-in-self-reported-happiness-a-problem/#comment-7226 Gil Fri, 30 Dec 2005 23:46:36 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=866#comment-7226 Great post! I was wondering, do you think that those who advocate policies aimed at maximizing self-reported happiness would, if they were consistent, have to support policies that do things like <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5676012956512384817" rel="nofollow">this</a> (video of a guy fooled by his friends into thinking he has a winning lottery ticket)? I suspect that the absolute difference between the guy's self-reported happiness, while under the illusion of his lottery win, and his normal self-reported happiness level was greater than the fall it took upon realizing he didn't really win. My point is that happiness is a response to the perception that good things are happening. It isn't really valuable if good things aren't really happening. What we should want to maximize are the good things, and that comes from (as you say) promoting wealth-creation. Other good things that can help us are better ideas about life and the world, but that's beyond the scope of government policy. Great post!

I was wondering, do you think that those who advocate policies aimed at maximizing self-reported happiness would, if they were consistent, have to support policies that do things like this (video of a guy fooled by his friends into thinking he has a winning lottery ticket)? I suspect that the absolute difference between the guy’s self-reported happiness, while under the illusion of his lottery win, and his normal self-reported happiness level was greater than the fall it took upon realizing he didn’t really win.

My point is that happiness is a response to the perception that good things are happening. It isn’t really valuable if good things aren’t really happening.

What we should want to maximize are the good things, and that comes from (as you say) promoting wealth-creation. Other good things that can help us are better ideas about life and the world, but that’s beyond the scope of government policy.

]]> By: GilM http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/12/30/is-the-flat-trend-in-self-reported-happiness-a-problem/#comment-7231 GilM Fri, 30 Dec 2005 23:46:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=866#comment-7231 Great post! I was wondering, do you think that those who advocate policies aimed at maximizing self-reported happiness would, if they were consistent, have to support policies that do things like <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5676012956512384817" rel="nofollow">this</a> (video of a guy fooled by his friends into thinking he has a winning lottery ticket)? I suspect that the absolute difference between the guy's self-reported happiness, while under the illusion of his lottery win, and his normal self-reported happiness level was greater than the fall it took upon realizing he didn't really win. My point is that happiness is a response to the perception that good things are happening. It isn't really valuable if good things aren't really happening. What we should want to maximize are the good things, and that comes from (as you say) promoting wealth-creation. Other good things that can help us are better ideas about life and the world, but that's beyond the scope of government policy. Great post!

I was wondering, do you think that those who advocate policies aimed at maximizing self-reported happiness would, if they were consistent, have to support policies that do things like this (video of a guy fooled by his friends into thinking he has a winning lottery ticket)? I suspect that the absolute difference between the guy’s self-reported happiness, while under the illusion of his lottery win, and his normal self-reported happiness level was greater than the fall it took upon realizing he didn’t really win.

My point is that happiness is a response to the perception that good things are happening. It isn’t really valuable if good things aren’t really happening.

What we should want to maximize are the good things, and that comes from (as you say) promoting wealth-creation. Other good things that can help us are better ideas about life and the world, but that’s beyond the scope of government policy.

]]> By: Sheldon Richman http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/12/30/is-the-flat-trend-in-self-reported-happiness-a-problem/#comment-7225 Sheldon Richman Fri, 30 Dec 2005 19:03:33 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=866#comment-7225 Absolutely fascinating! Absolutely fascinating!

]]> By: Sheldon Richman http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/12/30/is-the-flat-trend-in-self-reported-happiness-a-problem/#comment-7230 Sheldon Richman Fri, 30 Dec 2005 19:03:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=866#comment-7230 Absolutely fascinating! Absolutely fascinating!

]]>