Kahneman on Objective Happiness

“Being pleased or distressed is an attribute of experience at a particular moment. I will label this attribute instant utility, borrowing the term ‘utility’ from Bentham (1789/1948). . . Satisfaction questions refer to more inclusive domains of life, such as family life or work. . . At the highest level of integration we find dimensions such as happiness, or well-being, which encompass all domains of life. . . The perspective of the present chapter is bottom-up. It takes the instant utility of the moment as the basic unit of analysis and seeks an objective and normatively justified definition of ‘true’ well-being […]

How The Toy Industry Is Teaching Innovation By Fusing Positive Psychology And Technology.

For all that we hear about technology causing greater disconnection in society today, a growing movement of “makers” is offering a different twist on this narrative, instead using technology to unite people around making the world a better place. Makers might be teachers, professionals, students, parents, DIY hobbyists or just tinkerers; whatever their professional background, makers share a personal fascination with creating, often using technology. When you hear the term “maker,” you might think of self-made individuals like Elon Musk who taught himself computing at the age of 12 or Steve Jobs who created Apple in a garage. However, the maker movement […]

From Good To Great

By Fatmanur Erdogan, Hurriyet Daily News Sometimes being good just isn’t good enough. When the initial highs of success begin to fade, we almost always want more. We want to move on to even greater things. Whatever our current level, we want to reach for the next one. I think this is human nature. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who didn’t want to become at least a little bit better at something. What does it take to go from good to great? We know that it takes a lot of dedication, and that it requires an endless thirst for learning, even when everyone else […]