the art of happiness, or lack thereof

as usual, i am on a new business project. i have spent the last several weeks exploring one of the most over-examined, over-analyzed and over-pursued human emotions: happiness.

i am not about to begin tackling the topic via blog post, but i couldn't help but be intrigued by an article in the new york times (2003) . Harvard psychologist, Daniel Gilbert (among others), says that we as humans often have trouble determining how we will feel in the future. in other words, the decisions we make today might not necessarily produce the effect we are looking for, or we "overestimate the intensity and the duration of our emotional reactions." so our major long-term life moves: education, career, love, etc - are more often than not, made in vain.

on one part, it is a bit depressing. but it's also not so surpring. i think of it like our eyes adjusting to the darkness. after flipping the light switch from on to off, we experience total disorientation. yet within the following minutes, we begin to adapt to the change, slowly we are seeing shapes. similarly, our ideas of happiness adapt, evolve and take another form.

and i can't help but to reflect on my own experiences. i find so often that the material i happen upon or people i talk to ultimately add to my own growth moments. in respect to this article, i think about the decision to study communication planning, to move to minne, to climb the ladder, to drop everything, to move to zürich, to to to...it always seems to be about the next step, as the last one gets so comfortable so quickly.

i am interested to see how the financial crisis affects this mentality - in me and my fellow millennials. as young americans, we were taught that "the future is in our hands," but for many people, this no longer possible. you need a means to dreams, and the reality of the situation is growing bleaker. the options for jobs decrease, travel plans falter, the down payment on a house dissolves. perhaps we will slow down and finally just be happy with what we have the moment.