Welcome to part three of our exploration into the nature of happiness. In this article, we turn our attention to the psychology of happiness and findings by professor Peter Warr at the University of Sheffield. In his 2019 book of the same name, Warr draws on thousands of happiness and wellbeing studies to suggest nine primary environmental factors that impact your happiness. As we will see, many parallels can be drawn from the forthcoming with, for example…
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More Time For What?
As I contemplated dropping my van to the mechanic this morning, I considered how I might get back home as fast as possible. I could get the missus to follow me in the family car. I’d save time, get more work done, achieve more than I would if I walked. Really? To what end? It’s […]
The Pursuit of Happiness Part 2: The Focusing Illusion
The Focusing Illusion bias and how it impacts our judgement of perceived life happiness and wellbeing. In part two of our continued exploration into the nature and substance of happiness, we explore what cognitive psychologist Daniel Kahneman called The Focusing Illusion. The Focusing Illusion suggests that these things we think and believe are so important, […]
On Mortality
As I carry on my daily work, my mind is focused. But in the moments of reduced attention to the task, in recent weeks, it wanders to thoughts of my ultimate demise. I think of me, my parents, my wife and children, all one day gone. Today I thought of a business friend who lost […]
The Fool
You’re a fool no matter what. The moment you feel inflated by the apparent self-confidence or self-depreciation that possess you, you should know it to be true. All ambition, all notions of grandeur and importance, your status in the world, all feelings of worthlessness and objectification by others, the entire form and structure of your […]
The Pursuit of Happiness Part 1
An exploration into the phenomenon of happiness the dichotomous nature of the human condition. Over the next few weeks on Sunday Letters, we will explore the human pursuit of happiness, what it means, and whether or not we can indeed finally achieve it. We will examine its diametrical opposite, unhappiness, and try to understand how […]