Happiness, On-going Closer Look

April 27, 2006

Dennis Mangan, tres reluctant toward simple happiness, is nonetheless pleased by the Seligman-related Coaching Toward Happiness. Its importance is familiar news here, but refining the science of it is always welcome. Martin Seligman is the Leader.

Their current feature, focusing on Jon Haidt, the author of The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom, sent us to more information about the book.

There's this:

Is virtue its own reward? Yes, but in the modern West we’ve lost the ability to grow most virtues in good soil, and we’ve reduced virtue to just being nice. Where did we go wrong, and how can we forge a common morality in a diverse society?

And what's not to love in an approach like this:

Learn how to change those automatic reactions, using using meditation, cognitive therapy, and Prozac.

Maybe it's the Prozac connection. It's important to use using wisely. :-)