Want to get the "Moment of Happiness"? A daily happiness quotation in your inbox. Sign up here
On Friday, I had lunch with a friend. We started talking about happiness, and she leaned forward and confided, “I’ve started to do something that’s making me happy, but I hate to admit what it is.” “What?” I asked. “Well,” she paused, “I get my hair blown out twice a week.” “Really? You do?” As straight-haired person, the blowing-out process …
“If we wish to conquer undesirable emotional tendencies in ourselves, we must assiduously, and in the first instance cold-bloodedly, go through the outward motions of those contrary dispositions we prefer to cultivate.” –William James.
One of the striking facts about happiness is that happy people live longer—about 20% longer. Happy people have better immune function, and they act in healthier ways—for example, they exercise more. I was thinking about this last night as I fastened my seatbelt after getting in a cab. Until recently, although I always wore a seatbelt in a regular car, …
On the last day of the month, I post a list of happiness-themed recommended reading. Yesterday was Tip Day, however, so I held the list until today. Human nature, or character, is the subject that interests me most, and I love to read essays, maxims, and aphorisms on this topic. I enjoy the new science research and modern writing on …
