#873 - Lionel Page - The Invisible Psychology Of Happiness & Meaning

Lionel Page discusses the inadequacies of traditional methodologies for grasping the concept of happiness, suggesting that a more multifaceted approach might better explain the subtleties of human contentment.

Conventional views of happiness often focus on one aspect or mechanism without considering the bigger picture.

Page observes that numerous self-help and psychology books offer varying advice on finding happiness, ranging from enhancing social connections, controlling desires, to pursuing high ambitions. He likens these texts to blind individuals each describing a different part of an elephant—they may identify a piece of the reality but don't capture how these elements function together.

Different happiness "secrets" proposed in self-help books

As an example of this fragmented approach, Lionel Page notes how individuals often judge their happiness on a scale, typically around a seven, regardless of their income levels. This demonstrates a baseline positivity that conventional models might fail to fully account for. He emphasizes that while different books offer different "secrets" to happiness, they rarely explain the interconnections between these facets.

An evolutionary perspective provides a more comprehensive understanding of the complex system that drives human happiness and motivation.

Page critiques the "focusing illusion," a phenomenon highlighted by Daniel Kahneman, where individuals obsess over certain life aspects as the key to happiness, such as a special romantic partner, wealth, or an extensive social circle. However, Page points out that achieving these singular focuses rarely has the profound effect on life satisfaction that people expect.

Happiness is not just about objective achievements, but a system of valuation designed by evolution to help humans make successful decisions.

He provides the illustration of individuals from colder regions, like Minnesota, who think relocating to a sunnier climate, such as California's, will substantially increase their happiness. However, studies demonstrate that the anticipated persistent enhancement in life satisfaction seldom occurs after such a move.

This system involves balancing tradeoffs, such as between bein ...

Lionel Page and Chris Williamson probe the depths of human psychology to understand the biological and neurological reasons behind our never-ending quest for progress and how we measure our achievements.

Humans are biologically wired to constantly compare themselves to others and use that information to guide their goals and behavior.

We tend to compare ourselves to similar peers, rather than to outliers far above or below our own status, as a way to learn and improve.

Lionel Page discusses the natural inclination humans have to compare ourselves to others, particularly through the lens of social media, which often portrays a selective and idealized view of life. People from low socio-economic backgrounds measure achievements in comparison with those similar to themselves, which can foster a sense of satisfaction with their progress. Those from a high social background face the pressure of high expectations, leading to different career choices to avoid direct comparisons in professional fields.

This relative comparison, rather than absolute achievements, plays a major role in our subjective sense of well-being.

Page also speaks to the dynamic nature of status, which flexibly shifts throughout life. The hedonic happiness one experiences when rising from a low social background comes from using that original status as a benchmark. Conversely, being born into a highly prosperous social backdrop can create intense pressure to maintain that standard. As individuals accumulate wealth, their points of comparison change, often focusing on people with greater prosperity, which can lead to a continuous sense of underachievement and possibly, a skewed perception of failure.

Our brains are designed to motivate us through incremental progress and the promise of future rewards, rather than aiming for a fixed state of happiness.

Evolution has programmed us to always seek the next challenge or milestone, rather than being satisfied with our current level of success.

Page talks about success from an evolutionary standpoint, where higher status increased the prospects of finding mates and having offspring. Therefore, our brains encourage us to pursue ever more difficult tasks. This evolutionary wiring can lead to issues in the modern world, exemplified by the "gold medalist syndrome", where achieving one great goal only spurs us to set an even higher target.

This helps drive us to be as productive and accomplished as possible, but can also lead to a treadmill of constantly raised expectations.

Williamson and Page delve into this concept further, discussing how even when people win big (like in a sports championship), they rarely settle. Instead, observers often misconstrue the visibility of such success as true happiness, not realizing the relentless pursuit of the next goal that often accompanies it.

Page elaborates that our satisfaction with reaching milestones ...

Lionel Page and Chris Williamson delve into the inherent human conflict between the immediate gratification of pleasurable activities and the pursuit of long-term meaning, and how this tension affects our happiness and well-being.

Humans experience an inherent conflict between the immediate gratification of pleasurable activities and the delayed gratification required for long-term meaning and success.

Page postulates that traditional paths to happiness suggest contentment with what one has and curbing the desire for more can lead to happiness, contrasting with the pursuit of continual success. He explains that if humans could be content with the basics and stop wanting more, they would feel better, but the human brain is wired to always strive for more.

Furthermore, he discusses the adaptive reasons why humans do not continually feel increasing happiness, implying that instantaneous gratification from simple contentment is different from achieving happiness through fulfilling long-term activities.

Activities that provide short-term pleasure, like video games or instant consumption, can temporarily boost mood but may not contribute to long-term life satisfaction.

Playing video games excessively or seeking other quick rewards like eating junk food or partaking in vices might offer temporary pleasure but can later result in a lack of life satisfaction and the sense that nothing is being accomplished to contribute to long-term success.

Conversely, behaviors that promote long-term growth and meaning, like hard work and delayed gratification, can feel burdensome in the moment but lead to greater fulfillment over time.

Williamson discusses people's predispositions towards either deriving more pleasure from meaning or enjoyment, suggesting that such predispositions influence behavior and long-term life satisfaction. Achieving long-term goals often requires doing things that are costly in the short term, and life satisfaction comes from the sense that one is making progress toward a successful life.

This mismatch between our evolved impulses for immediate pleasure and the demands of modern life can cause significant unhappiness.

The hosts highlight the difficulties and unhappiness that can arise from the mismatch between our evolutionary impulses for immediate pleasure and the demands of modern life.

As the time horizons for success have expanded, the tension between short-term enjoyment and long-term meaning has become more pronounced.

In modern life, the rewards are very far in the future, and the time horizons for success have expanded massively due to increased life expectancy and the ability to invest in the future. This extension has made decisions regarding long-term planning more difficult, heightening the tension between moments of quick satisfaction and the pursuit of enduring happiness.

Individuals have varying predispositions to prioritize either pleasu ...