The Myths of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky
This isn’t the first book I’ve read about happiness, so at best I was hoping for a refresher course. It is a good refresher course, and a good supplemental, as Lybormirsky has a lot of new information that I haven’t read in other books.
Lybormirsky’s information comes from first hand and second hand research (always a plus) and yet has a readable writing style. She breaks down the chapters with headers “I can’t be happy when …” and “I wil be happy when I …” subjects, relating to accomplishments, health issues, and of course, relationships.
Best part of the book is when she said that older people tend to be happier than younger people, which means that my most anxious years are likely behind me. Also good: that humans are remarkably reslient, with robust psychological immune systems, and if you have (like me) people in your life you’re close to, you’ll probably be okay no matter what life throws at you.
Worst part: apparently people usually don’t experience long-term happiness after achieving long-sought goals. In fact, the reverse usually happens. So I probably won’t be ecstatic forever if I become a best-selling author (but please buy my books anyway.) And the people who usually really, truly live life in the moment are people for whom their lives have something awful happen, like concentration camp victims or cancer patients.
I recommend this for people who wonder about what makes people happy.
