Seven Takeaways From Daniel Gilbert's Bestselling Book “Stumbling On Happiness”

Medically reviewed by Majesty Purvis, LCMHC
Updated November 5, 2024by BetterHelp Editorial Team

Daniel Gilbert's bestselling book, Stumbling on Happiness, is regarded by many as a valuable exploration of people and their relationship with happiness. Gilbert is a distinguished Harvard psychology professor who has won numerous awards for teaching and research. His credentials and accolades can allow his work to carry relevance in a digestible way for many who seek to understand human relationships and reactions toward the concept of happiness. Below are seven takeaways from Stumbling on Happiness that you can choose to leverage in your lived experience.

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Seven takeaways from “Stumbling On Happiness” by Daniel Gilbert 

Below are seven of the main takeaways from Daniel Gilbert's book. 

1. Humans may be the only animals that think about the future

The human ability to think about the future can significantly impact how individuals think about happiness. Science supports the hypothesis that the human brain can perform many feats, including seeing, remembering, and forming pathways. However, Gilbert states that the ability to imagine can be even more remarkable and singular to humans, which he calls the brain's most outstanding achievement. 

Gilbert explains, "To imagine is to experience the world as it isn't and has never been, but as it might be. The greatest achievement of the human brain is its ability to imagine objects and episodes that do not exist in the realm of the real, [such as happiness], and it is this ability that allows us to think about the future." 

However, for many, brains don't imagine without structure or form. Instead, human brains can imagine and comprehend the future by making predictions based on prior knowledge and events. An individual might do this by tapping into what may be already known and what has already been learned through experience.

Gilbert suggests that humans can take this knowledge and create expectations for the future. It can be done subconsciously, which Gilbert calls "nexting." According to Gilbert, the brain can constantly be in a state of nexting, which is why when something unexpected, unplanned, or out-of-the-ordinary pops up, people often respond with surprise, shock, or fear. 

Gilbert suggests that humans think of the future for pleasure and survival. He states, "When people daydream about the future, they imagine themselves achieving and succeeding rather than fumbling or failing." However, imagining the future may lead to feelings of nervousness or fear for some. However, Gilbert considers that nervous "nexting" serves two purposes that can be helpful to the future. 

For example, people might think that disaster planning can reduce the disaster's impact if it occurs. Whether this is true, it can give some a semblance of control and safety. In addition, when an individual anticipates problems, they can take precautions to actively prevent or avoid them, leading to a potentially higher quality of life.

2. It is difficult but may not be impossible to measure happiness

Happiness might not be as easy to measure for some, and Gilbert acknowledges this. He suggests a theory in alignment with the scientific community, stating, "If a thing cannot be measured, then it cannot be studied scientifically." Since happiness may not be quantitative, people have wondered whether studying it is possible. 

Gilbert suggests that happiness is "a feeling, an experience, [or] a subjective state [that] has no objective referent in the physical world." He goes on to suggest that science already has a reliable source to measure when it comes to happiness: the people who report being happy. He hypothesizes that people can be an accurate measure, as the individual is the only person with the potential to report feelings and experiences truthfully. 

When subjects report feeling happy, scientists can examine physiological measurements to support or refute the claim, like muscle movement and cerebral blood flow. While happiness is often a subjective feeling and an emotional experience, it is still experienced and genuine. The individual reporting the feeling may be the most accurate form of reference when measuring and talking about happiness scientifically.

Gilbert suggests another way scientists can possibly reduce objectivity in these measurements is to leverage the "law of large numbers." This law states that the sheer and vast amount of information gathered may start to show the true median range of a set population or test group. 

As Gilbert explains, "No individual's report may be taken as an unimpeachable and perfectly calibrated index of his experience - not yours, not mine - but we can be confident that if we ask enough people the same question, the average answer will be a roughly accurate index of the average experience."

By examining thousands of people and their experiences of happiness, Gilbert suggests that it may be possible for science to measure at least some aspects of this subjective human experience.

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3. Imagination is fun, but it may have shortcomings

Even though people can report when they feel happy, they might not make an accurate assumption about future happiness. Gilbert acknowledges and suggests that remaining in an imaginative state can be fun, but it may not result in a perfect or pleasant experience. 

He then goes on to describe three possible shortcomings inherent in imagination and the related experiences for some:

  • Imagination can add and subtract details. Individuals may not see that essential details are made up or missing until they move through the experience.
  • When it comes to past or future events, what a person imagines can be more like the present than those events were or will be.
  • A person's imagination may not consider that they could end up feeling differently than what they imagine they would once the future occurs.

Gilbert introduces several studies that showcase the brain's possible predisposition to suggestibility, which allows some to create a comprehensive image for themselves. 

He then references the work of German philosopher Immanuel Kant and his idealism theory to further iterate on this point. 

In the 18th century, Kant stated, "The understanding can intuit nothing, the senses can think nothing. Only through their union can knowledge arise." Gilbert explains Kant's idealistic concepts by suggesting that people use physical senses and the mind to create sensations. This process might allow them to understand better and comprehend their environment.

“Stumbling on Happiness”: Perceptions from Gilbert's book

In his book, Gilbert states, "Our perceptions are the result of a psychological process that combines what our eyes see with what we already think, feel, know, want, and believe, and then uses this combination of sensory information and preexisting knowledge to construct our perception of reality.

When a person imagines being happy in the future, their imagination may create a beautiful picture. However, it might not accurately depict their future or how they'll feel when it arrives. For example, someone might believe they'll be happy when they receive a certain amount of money. However, if they someday achieve that amount, they might notice that their level of happiness hasn't changed. 

4. No one may know how other people feel and experience happiness

Gilbert notes that it can be challenging, if not impossible, to compare happiness between individual experiences. That's because happiness happens for many on an individual level and can change in manifestation depending on who is experiencing it. 

Gilbert states that this unknown aspect of happiness may allow people to be happy with what they have because they are not comparing it with what they don't have. In addition, he notes that it can be impossible for many people to experience a situation without putting it in the context of their cumulative past experiences. Gilbert states, "Our experiences instantly become part of the lens through which we view our entire past, present, and future, and like any lens, they shape and distort what we see." 

5. The future you imagine may be unrealistically simple

Have you ever happily and willingly made plans several weeks in advance, only to find that you become reluctant to the idea as the day approaches? Gilbert offers a suggested explanation for this challenge in his book. He implies, "When we remember or imagine a temporally distant event, our brains seem to overlook the fact that details vanish with temporal distance, and they conclude instead that the distant events actually are as smooth and vague as we are imagining and remembering them." 

It may be that imagining the immediate future allows for greater detail. However, when the actual day arrives, experiences can vary, and what once excites you might not anymore.   

6. Memories and imaginations may be similar to the present moment

Further in the text, Gilbert discusses something he calls "presentism," or "the tendency for current experience to influence one's views of the past and the future." Because humans can carry all accumulated experiences wherever we go, describing a future free of subjective input can seem impossible.

To do so fully may require humans to extract themselves from what is now known and believed, returning to their former selves and speaking objectively about how they may have felt then, without the experiences they may have gathered between the past and the present. The same can apply to the future. You can try to imagine how happy you might be if a particular event happens. 

However, it can be beneficial to consider how much might have changed by the time you reach that future and what would happen if you found out it wasn't what you wanted. Gilbert suggests that many humans actively compare how they feel in the future to how they would feel now instead of considering what they might feel then. 

7. Psychological immune systems are a buffer for traumatic events

Gilbert directly references those who may be resilient in the face of trouble, saying, "We may see the world through rose-colored glasses, but rose-colored glasses are neither opaque nor clear." He explains, "We cannot do without reality, and we cannot do without illusion. Each serves a purpose, each imposes a limit on the influence of the other, and our experience of the world is the artful compromise that these tough competitors negotiate".

Studies have found that the psychological system in the body keeps individuals in a state of self-preservation in times of stress. Humans can imagine adverse events that haven't yet occurred, with many thinking that they may lessen their impact if they think about them ahead of time. This process may result from a resilient psychological defense mechanism, which often works preemptively to rationalize the potential for failure or loss. 

If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.

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Counseling options 

If you are experiencing periods of prolonged sadness, stress, or apathy, you might be overwhelmed or confused by your experiences. You may feel drained or unable to leave the bed or your home. In these cases, online therapy may be a beneficial resource, allowing you to receive support from your bed or space of comfort. 

Studies have found that online therapy is as effective as in-person therapeutic formats. A recent study published by the Journal of Medical Internet Research reviewed the efficacy of an online platform and found that depressive symptoms and feelings of sadness in those living with depressive disorders featured in the test group were reduced after the intervention. 

If you want to try online therapy to address a lack of happiness, a mental health condition, or any other concerns, consider signing up with an online platform like BetterHelp. BetterHelp uses a match-based system, allowing you to get matched with one of over 30,000 therapists specializing in unique areas of mental wellness. 

Takeaway

Gilbert's book, Stumbling on Happiness, offers insights that can challenge current beliefs about happiness. Although reading self-help books and psychological research can be beneficial, if you're experiencing lapses in positive moods or a lack of happiness, consider speaking to a licensed therapist as well. Counseling can often offer improvements in mood and help you form a self-care routine unique to your needs.

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