Unlearning Happiness

Imagine you won the lottery. Now imagine you lost the use of your legs in a car accident. In a year's time under which event would you experience more happiness? It seems like an idiotic question. The answer is obvious: the lottery will make us happier. The only problem is that this isn't true. I encourage you to watch this very insightful video from Dan Gilbert, the author of "Stumbling Upon Happiness" and pay very close attention to what he calls "The Impact Bias." His comments on the "paradox of choice" may also encourage many of us to unlearn what we think will make us happy.