“People are strongly, perhaps even primarily, perhaps even single-mindedly, motivated to feel happy,” he declares.

A great gift of nature that we use for seeking happiness is imagination. “Our brains have a unique structure that allows us to mentally transport ourselves into future circumstances and then ask ourselves how it feels to be there.” However, this ability to simulate future selves and future circumstances is by no means perfect, says Gilbert. “We fill in details that won’t really come to pass and leave out details that will.”

Foresight is a fragile talent that often leaves us squinting, he observes. “There is no simple formula for finding happiness. But if our great big brains do not allow us to go sure-footedly into our futures, they at least allow us to understand what makes us stumble.”

For a sublime read.

D. Murali

http://BookPeek.blogspot.com

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