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The Good Life →
Aristotle warned that a long silence seems to make friends forget their friendship, but research suggests the friend on the other end would be happier to hear from you than you think
In 1978, psychologists predicted lottery winners would be no happier than other local people. The 22 winners they interviewed weren’t significantly happier, and they rated ordinary pleasures lower
Human Nature →
In a 2013 study spanning more than 19,000 adults aged 18 to 68, people expected far less personal change over the next decade than people 10 years older reported experiencing over the same years of life
In a 2010 study of 2,250 adults, minds were wandering in nearly half the moments people were asked about, and what they were thinking about explained more of their happiness than what they were doing
Lives & Ideas →
In 1974 Nozick asked whether you would plug into a machine that could give you any experience you desired, and he took it for granted that you would refuse.
Carl Jung suggested life splits into two halves, and the surprise is what the second is for — not more career or identity, but an inward turn he called individuation, reclaiming the parts of yourself the first half left behind
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