Thinking Fast and Slow - Study Notes - Version 2: 37 - Chapter 37:Experienced Well-Being

Chapter 37:Experienced Well-Being

· tradit’l measur’ts of well-being used questionnaires asking rememb. self
· better, focus on well-being of exper. self — “Helen was happy in the month of March” if spent most of her time in activities that she wd rather continue than stop, little time in situ’ns she wished to escape, and (v. impt because life is short) not too much time in a neutral state, not caring
· e.g. state of flow, absorption in a task — or exper’s you do not want to end
· how to measure experienced well-being?

· experience sampling, i.e. interrupt during day via cellphone, questionnaire — expensive, burdensome
· Day Reconstruction Method (DRM), same results as exper. sampling — review previous day, break into episodes, questionnaire — U-index = % time spent in unpleasant state — U-index can also rate activities, e.g. commute, work, watch TV, sex
· e. g. findings:

o well-being depends mostly on immed. situ’n, phys’l health, social contact

o U.S. women enjoy time w their children less than doing housework, French women less time w their children but enjoy more

o mood depends mostly on what we are paying attention to

§ advice: enjoy eating more by paying attent’n to it, switch leisure fr. passive to active

o happiness is mostly spending time w people you love & who love you

· two aspects of well-being: (1) exper’d well-being, (2) judg’t on overall satisfaction w life
· findings:

o educ’n increases (2) but decreases (1) because of stress

o poor health gtly -(1) but less effect on (2)

o religion +(1) but less effect on (2)

o poverty = misery

o wealth +(2) but no effect on (1), at $75,000 no more + in (1), no longer enjoy small pleasures

· “The objective of policy should be to reduce human suffering. We aim for a lower U-index in society. Dealing with depression and extreme poverty should be a priority.”
· “The easiest way to increase happiness is to control your use of time. Can you find more time to do the things you enjoy doing?”
· “Beyond the satiation level of income, you can buy more pleasurable experiences, but you will lose some of your ability to enjoy the less expensive ones.”