In fact, says Gilbert, happiness comes from small satisfactions that stay with us longer, things that are often so subtle we barely even think about them. He explains:
When really bad things happen to us, we defend against them. 'People, of course, predict the exact opposite. If you ask, 'What would you rather have, a broken leg or a trick knee?' they'd probably say, 'Trick knee.' And yet, if your goal is to accumulate maximum happiness over your lifetime, you just made the wrong choice. A trick knee is a bad thing to have.In other words, you’re better off with a temporary big loss – say, the loss of a loved one – than a long-lasting small one, such alienation from said loved one. Conversely, people who, say, get comfortable salaries for decades at a time are happier than those who win the lottery.
The political implications of this are obvious. There’s far greater merit in helping those at the bottom than giving more to the ones who already have so much.
Basic healthcare for everyone is better than the best healthcare for a few.
Public education for all does more good than private education for those who can afford it.
The guy who works at MacDonald’s gets a lot more joy from a $2 increase in the minimum wage than your average CEO would get from a new Ferrari.
As Gilbert says:
Windfalls are better than pratfalls, A’s are better than C’s, December 25 is better than April 15th, and everything is better than a Republican administration.Words to live by.
