DAVID KAHNEMAN: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF HAPPINESS PART 3

What Kahneman has proposed is that The genetic determination of happiness is almost as strong as the genetic determination of height.  This is truly remarkable but somehow not surprising, considering that so many aspects of our lives are in some way decided by the composition of our genetic make up. Kahneman goes further by suggesting that our propensity for pessimism and optimism are also determined by a genetic input.

Rather humorously, he says there are advantages in being a pessimist: I'm never disappointed. That's quite an enjoyable state.  I remember seeing a T-shirt with the caption, A CYNIC IS WHAT AN IDEALIST CALLS A REALIST.  There is an implication here that all ideas and indeed all ideals should be taken with a handful of salt and that there are advantages in looking at things with a critical eye, confounding the idealist having suppositions that will never be brought to fruition.

Kahneman also introduces the factor of time:  We tend to think of a future event as an anticipated memory of it.  [We] go on vacations in order to remember them.  We should go on vacation and have a good time.  We should think of living, and not of remembering. 

Here we have evidence of our difficulty in trying to live in the present.  While meditating or even day-dreaming, we may find ourselves projecting our thoughts into the future.  An idea will interpose and mindfulness of the present will cannon off into thoughts about telling someone about our experience or writing about it.

Lastly, Kahneman talks about the illusion of validity.  His premise that predictions in economics is useless strikes a chord with those who thought that house prices would always rise, or that there is an end in sight to the present recession.  Kahneman states, They have expertise but they don't know the limits of their expertise.

The rest of the interview is taken up with Kahneman's ideas on Loss Aversion in which situation potential losers will always fight harder than potential winner as the stakes and odds are increased.

[For further information about David Kahneman's sometimes unique ideas about behavioural economics and his background, see:
http://www.speakersassociates.com/Daniel-Kahneman.aspx?ppctraffic=true&gclid=CJvH_teakbkCFbIPtAodejkAZg]

DAVID KAHNEMAN: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF HAPPINESS PART 2

David Kahneman

What is  satisfaction and is it different from happiness?

Listening to Daniel Kahneman on Radio 4 the other week he expounded his clear insight into the field of behavioral science, especially in the area of judgement and decision-making and an area I'd never heard of before, hedonic psychology.  I've wondered if it was possible to make a quantitative study of happiness, not necessarily in terms of possessions and wealth or income and profit, but in terms of a satisfaction with life where needs are simple and few and the main concern is being relaxed  in the present.

In a simple framework, Kahneman has looked at what makes experiences pleasant or unpleasant; the causes of satisfaction and dissatisfaction; joy and sorrow.  His study took him into the field of behavioural science - from a sociological and biological perspective.

In the interview, Kahneman seemed grounded and human with his idea that there was a use for gossip and for one's image of themselves:  this, he says I got from my mother.  She, apparently was a great gossip and knew everybody's business well.  Kahneman  concludes:
          
People who anticipate gossip tend to make better decisions than if they           didn't anticipate gossip...and...People see others much more clearly than       they see themselves.

Kahneman states:  Older people are happier.  Becoming older myself, I can understand that statement as there is less now to bother me as I've learned to handle situations and problems with much more equanimity than in the past.  

He then goes on to say that: 

Emotional happiness is how you feel about your life as you're living it and life satisfaction is how you feel about your life when you're thinking about it.

This is a statement about being consciously in the present rather than turning your mind to the past or the future.  From this there follows the premise that, in general, people will do more in their lives to achieve satisfaction rather than happiness.  There is one small step to reach the conclusion that we achieve satisfaction through thinking about the ephemerality of situations and conditions that we construe as bringing us happiness, whereas, for an embedded and lasting happiness we should live life in the present.

What seems remarkable is that Kahneman claims to have identified a gene which affects optimism and happiness and pessimism and misery.  Although we do have freedom of choice, genetic input has a lot to do with our positive and negative approach to life.  This, he put in terms of how we think when we're younger.  A young person who intends to make a lot of money when they're older generally achieve their objective and are happier than those who fail. Conversely, those who feel that money and possessions are not that important while in their youth, are also happier than average in their old age.

Although this would seem obvious, the input of a genetic factor is an element that deserves consideration.

*