Watch this when
The surprising science of happiness | Dan Gilbert
Your brain is terrible at predicting how sad you'll be. The good news: it's also better at recovering than you think. 🧠
Who it's for
After a disappointment, people tend to predict that their unhappiness will be intense and lasting.
Sad→Hopeful
Feelings it meets
What it is
In this TED2004 talk, psychologist Dan Gilbert, author of 'Stumbling on Happiness', argues that people are poor at predicting how events will make them feel. He compares lottery winners and people who became paraplegic, and introduces 'synthetic happiness': the satisfaction the mind creates when we don't get what we wanted, which he calls a 'psychological immune system'.
Where to find it
YouTube, official TED channel (free). Transcript on TED.com.
Before you start
Heads up: Brief examples of disability and prison.
Age: Ages 12+
She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older:Jane Austen, Persuasion, Chapter IV
