Why stuff doesn't make us happy
Jonah Lehrer, in his blog Frontal Cortex, does a great job of explaining why stuff doesn't make us happy...at least after we get it. He points out that the brain stops firing those happy feelings when the reward is predictable. It is all about the chase apparently. He also ends his blog with a quote about "Riches leave a man always as much and sometimes more exposed than before to anxiety, to fear and to sorrow."
As a therapist I know that the process is usually more important than the end result. More benefit comes from the challenge of trying to work out problems or struggle with social interactions in a group. Although the brain may not be pumping out happy juice, it is actively engaged when life is unpredictable.
Read more on the Frontal Cortex and this post at http://scienceblogs.com/cortex/2008/08/unhappiness_and_advertising.php
Share your thoughts by clicking the comments link below...
As a therapist I know that the process is usually more important than the end result. More benefit comes from the challenge of trying to work out problems or struggle with social interactions in a group. Although the brain may not be pumping out happy juice, it is actively engaged when life is unpredictable.
Read more on the Frontal Cortex and this post at http://scienceblogs.com/cortex/2008/08/unhappiness_and_advertising.php
Share your thoughts by clicking the comments link below...