Stumbling on Happiness

In "Stumbling on Happiness," acclaimed Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert delves into the fascinating and often flawed human ability to imagine the future and predict our emotional responses to it. Drawing on insights from psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and behavioral economics, Gilbert masterfully reveals the intricate mechanisms of our minds as we forecast our tomorrows. He explores why we consistently misjudge what will make us happy, leading to a host of intriguing paradoxes, such as why infidelity might be forgiven more readily than dirty dishes, or why people order different meals despite wanting the same thing. With sparkling prose and penetrating wit, Gilbert unpacks the 'foibles of imagination and illusions of foresight' that cause us to misconceive our future selves and misestimate our satisfactions, offering a profound exploration of why we know so little about the people we are destined to become.