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    DEJ Dan Gilbert

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    NickF
    This document contains a double entry journal summarizing key points from a TED talk by Dan Gilbert on happiness. The journal contains quotes from the talk and the student's responses. Some of the main ideas discussed are: how the human brain has tripled in size over millions of years and gained new structures; the prefrontal cortex allows for experience simulation; lottery winners and paraplegics report equal happiness levels a year after their events; most life traumas have no impact on happiness after 3 months; and happiness can be both obtained naturally and synthesized, as we have the capacity to manufacture it through our experiences and minds.

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    DEJ Dan Gilbert

    Uploaded by

    NickF
    73 views2 pages
    This document contains a double entry journal summarizing key points from a TED talk by Dan Gilbert on happiness. The journal contains quotes from the talk and the student's responses. Some of the main ideas discussed are: how the human brain has tripled in size over millions of years and gained new structures; the prefrontal cortex allows for experience simulation; lottery winners and paraplegics report equal happiness levels a year after their events; most life traumas have no impact on happiness after 3 months; and happiness can be both obtained naturally and synthesized, as we have the capacity to manufacture it through our experiences and minds.

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    This document contains a double entry journal summarizing key points from a TED talk by Dan Gilbert on happiness. The journal contains quotes from the talk and the student's responses. Some of the main ideas discussed are: how the human brain has tripled in size over millions of years and gained new structures; the prefrontal cortex allows for experience simulation; lottery winners and paraplegics report equal happiness levels a year after their events; most life traumas have no impact on happiness after 3 months; and happiness can be both obtained naturally and synthesized, as we have the capacity to manufacture it through our experiences and minds.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    73 views2 pages

    DEJ Dan Gilbert

    Uploaded by

    NickF
    This document contains a double entry journal summarizing key points from a TED talk by Dan Gilbert on happiness. The journal contains quotes from the talk and the student's responses. Some of the main ideas discussed are: how the human brain has tripled in size over millions of years and gained new structures; the prefrontal cortex allows for experience simulation; lottery winners and paraplegics report equal happiness levels a year after their events; most life traumas have no impact on happiness after 3 months; and happiness can be both obtained naturally and synthesized, as we have the capacity to manufacture it through our experiences and minds.

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    of 2

    Fritts 1

    Nicholas Fritts
    Professor Jizi
    UWRT1102-029
    22 February 2016

    Double Entry Journal- Dan Gilbert


    Citation: TEDtalksDirector. "The Surprising Science of Happiness | Dan Gilbert | TED
    Talks." YouTube. YouTube, 26 Apr. 2012. Web. 22 February 2016.

    Source: Quote (Page# or Paragraph #)

    Responses

    And yet in two million years, the human


    brain has nearly tripled in mass

    By believing this it is easy to see how we


    became so technologically advanced. The
    size increased and so did our capabilities.
    Will our brains continue to grow?

    it turns out when brains triple in size


    they gain new structures.

    This further illustrates the pervious point. Will


    our brains gain new structures?

    It turns out the pre-frontal cortex does lots


    of things, but one of the most important
    things it does is an experience simulator.

    I know for a fact that I have the ability to


    simulate experiences. It is cool to know what
    part of the brain allows us to do that. I wonder
    what it must have been like to not have that
    ability. At the same time, I dont want to know
    personally.

    a year after losing the use of their legs,


    and a year after winning the lotto, lottery
    winners and paraplegics are equally happy
    with their lives.

    If this is true anyone should be able to


    recover from anything and live a long happy
    life.

    If [a major life trauma] happened over three


    months ago, with only a few exceptions, it
    has no impact whatsoever on your
    happiness.

    I think this is good. It means us, humans, can


    move on from hardships and downfalls.

    Fritts 2

    happiness can be synthesized.

    I think this is true. I believe that I do this daily.


    I think about the food Im about to eat, and it
    makes me happy.

    Natural happiness is what we get when we


    get what we wanted, and synthetic
    happiness is what we make when we dont
    get what we wanted.

    I thinks its cool that we can have both obtain


    happiness and create it.

    synthetic happiness is every bit as real


    and enduring as the kind of happiness you
    stumble upon

    Synthetic happiness is just as good. And


    easier and cheaper to obtain.

    The lesson I want to leave you with, from


    these data, is that our longings and our
    worries are both to some degree overblown,
    because we have within us the capacity to
    manufacture the very commodity we are
    constantly chasing when we choose
    experience.

    We can make ourselves happy using just our


    minds.

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