Nick Argent 9/26/10
MCHS
“The Futile Pursuit of Happiness Homework”
Dan Gilbert, Wilson, Loe Wenstein, and Kahnman all have their own ways of becoming the men they've become. But out of the four, Gilbert's method I've come to like the most. Whether it be right or wrong, it all becomes a mind game in the end.
I'd like to begin with why I chose Gilbert in the first place. Generally people tend to favor someone they can relate to, and out of the four, I'd relate most to Gilbert. Quoted in the article "The Futile Pursuit of Happiness" by Jon Gartner, Gilbert explains a little about his past. He'd dropped out of high school at 15, went on a road trip selling stuff and trying to live, then meeting a girl along the way, resulting in having a id with her at the age of 18.: How he relates to me is based off mistake and consideration. I've considered dropping out of high school my junior year. Now being a senior I've realized that would have been a stupid path to take. He also met a girl he really loved at a young age, much like I did. Though I didn't really intend on marrying her.
Later in the article, he explains that his friend passed away. He was in the same state most people had been, the state of "Nothing will ever go right again, I'll always feel bad forever!" Yet, his studies told him that he's just saying that. He knew in the back of his mind he WOULD feel better. But as of the moment, he felt as if the world would never get better.
I may not have lost a true friend in death. But I've lost her in bad influence. I've also lost a great friend when he'd had to move away. He made all new friends and left me "alone", in my mind. And as most would do, I found new friends. It's true that true friends can't be replaced, but at least the friends you make will ease the suffering.
My point here is, I may not have fully did what Gilbert had done, but it was all considered, it all ran through my mind, and some of it may have happened a bit differently. Situations like that tend to kill you, you generally begin to hate your life and think it'll never get better. But according to his research that's all wrong
So onto his studies. He likes playing with the mind from what I've seen. He'll give a "what if" scenario and see how many people will vote for which. An example would be, winning the lottery, or being an autistic person. Obviously a lot of people picked winning the lottery. However, a study on autistic people proved they were equally happy as those who'd won the lotto. The point he makes here is, we THINK that we'll be happier with the decision, but in the end, we may not be. Data can prove against it, but if your mind thinks it will, then that's a choice you're willing to make, despite the outcome.
I may not have lost a true friend in death. But I've lost her in bad influence. I've also lost a great friend when he'd had to move away. He made all new friends and left me "alone", in my mind. And as most would do, I found new friends. It's true that true friends can't be replaced, but at least the friends you make will ease the suffering.
My point here is, I may not have fully did what Gilbert had done, but it was all considered, it all ran through my mind, and some of it may have happened a bit differently. Situations like that tend to kill you, you generally begin to hate your life and think it'll never get better. But according to his research that's all wrong
So onto his studies. He likes playing with the mind from what I've seen. He'll give a "what if" scenario and see how many people will vote for which. An example would be, winning the lottery, or being an autistic person. Obviously a lot of people picked winning the lottery. However, a study on autistic people proved they were equally happy as those who'd won the lotto. The point he makes here is, we THINK that we'll be happier with the decision, but in the end, we may not be. Data can prove against it, but if your mind thinks it will, then that's a choice you're willing to make, despite the outcome.
Gilbert has a great personality. He's outgoing and isn't a boring person that barely talks. That's one thing that we don't have in common. But aside from that, I relate well. He may sometimes get a feeling most people would about things never going to get better, but he knows they will. His research proves even himself wrong. Above all, he's a brilliant psychologist and in my opinion, the best of the others
Hi Nick, I'm glad you relate to Dan Gilbert. However, this blog post is off topic. I asked to pick one of the theories in John Gertner's article and relate that theory to your own life. While your writing is clear, I'd love you to work on writing a proper intro (as we discussed in class) with a strong thesis. You are a fast and accurate writer, but you need to "rein in" some of your ramblings (entertaining as they might be).
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