Ted Video Why Are We Happy?

Why are we happy?

Source:

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_we_happy.html

Summary:

In this talk, Dan Gilbert challenged the idea that “psychological immune system” can let people feel better. During this talk, he described why people feel bad especially when the outcome of things differed with what they expected also explained what is synthetic happiness which means people will change their mind, thought and aesthetic reaction to let themselves feel better. Then, Dan Gilbert gave the audience several examples to show how synthetic works when and how. The main point Dan Gilbert wanted to describe is that there’s a magical system in human beings’ brain which is one of important source can make people feel happier but lots of people didn’t notice that also people always overblow their fears and worries that make their life unhappy.

Key vocabulary:

1.psychological: related to the mental and emotional state of a person

2.immune: resistant to a particular infection

3:synthetic: made by chemical combination

4:aesthetic: concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty

5.overblow: overstate

Discussion questions:

1.What kind of things can make you happy?

2.If your husband picks his nose, what do you think about? Do you feel bad or feel nothing?

3.Do you agree with the speaker that synthetic happiness can really make people feel better? Or do you think that synthetic happiness really exists? Or not?

4.Have you ever had experience that you made a choice and you didn’t have any chance to change the choice, then after few days or a month that you think you did the right decision?

5.After this talk, did Dan Gilbert change your thought about happiness? Like what?