Book SummaryHappy, by Derren Brown

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Happy

We take it as a given that we want to be happy, but how to achieve happiness, or even how to define it, has been a problem that philosophers, theologians, and psychologists have tried to address since humans first learned to articulate the problem. Older eras have sought happiness through lives of virtue and intellectual pursuits, while the modern age places value on achievement, fame, and fortune.

In Happy, Derren Brown suggests that there are answers to this problem, but that they might not be found where we expect. Instead of relying on modern self-help psychology or experts on setting and achieving personal goals, he turns to the works of ancient Greek philosophers for whom the quest for a happy, well-lived life was a practical problem to be...

Happy Summary A Balanced Life

Brown begins his exploration of happiness by setting realistic expectations for what the idea of happiness means. As opposed to much of the modern self-help industry, with its focus on goal setting, self-affirmation, and relentless (sometimes unrealistic) positivity, Brown suggests that happiness can be found by living a life in which our desires are balanced with the realities we live in. In this section, we’ll examine the nature of that balance, how it’s affected by the stories we tell, and the value of using philosophy as a guide.

Much of life is a tug-of-war between various aspects of existence. In ourselves, there’s a conflict between our strengths and weaknesses. Externally, we’re caught in the struggle between what we want and life’s obstacles. For example, you may dream of starting a business that fills your life with meaning and makes you comfortably rich. However, random chance (such as market fluctuations) can keep success forever out of your grasp. Brown argues that either devoting all your energy to getting what you want or giving in to the capricious tides of fate both lead to a miserable existence. **Happiness is actually found when we’re threading the needle...

Happy Summary Cornerstones of Happiness

Drawing directly from the Stoics and Epicureans, Brown bases his philosophical approach on the age-old aphorism that the circumstances of our lives aren’t what make us unhappy, but rather how we react to them. Starting from this tenet, he suggests that the cornerstones of happiness are for us to choose contentment over perfection, take responsibility for our lives, and become the authors of our internal narratives.

Brown describes the groundwork that was paved by the early Greek thinkers, for whom the study of philosophy wasn’t merely an academic pursuit, but rather a search for practical values that would help people live happier lives. Some believed that happiness could be found in the contemplation of intangible ideals, such as the perfect abstraction of beauty. Others took a real-world approach and insisted that happiness could be achieved when a person became the best version of themselves. It was from the latter perspective that the Epicureans and the Stoics built their beliefs.

(Shortform note: In modern times, Stoicism has a bad reputation from the common belief that [Stoics are unfeeling and detached from the...

Happy Summary Barriers to Happiness

Even though we accept it as a given that the pursuit of happiness is core to human nature, most of us suffer from misguided notions about what happiness is, fueled by messages from the media and society. Instead of seeking contentment in the everyday balance between our aims and our troubles, the world at large would have us believe that happiness is something we can win like a trophy. Given that unrealistic societal message, Brown identifies three major obstacles to living a well-balanced, happier life—our culture’s insistence on positive thinking, the ways we let ourselves give in to anger, and the importance we attach to our ambitions and desires.

Positive Thinking

As counterintuitive as it sounds, “positive thinking” (as it’s peddled by the self-help industry and motivational speakers) can be toxic in the extreme. Brown claims that the philosophy of positive thinking oversells its benefits, leads to cycles of shame, and relies on false assumptions about what truly makes us happy.

(Shortform note: While Brown fires shots at proponents of shallow positivity, he doesn’t directly argue against the work of Norman Vincent Peale, who popularized the idea of positive...

Happy Summary Lessons of Mortality

While anger, envy, and desire are all fleeting, there is one permanent fixture in life that can cloud our present happiness—the fear of our eventual death. Instead of approaching death as a negative, Brown claims that if we look at what the experience of dying can teach us, it can help us be happier today. Brown discusses philosophical thoughts about death before suggesting the value of embracing your mortality so that you don’t end life with a mountain of regrets.

(Shortform note: In Being Mortal, Atul Gawande laments the fact that in modern culture we don’t prepare ourselves for death. Part of this is because of our greatly expanded lifespans—we’re simply not accustomed to seeing death on a regular basis. Our modern focus instead has become prolonging life by any means necessary, whether or not we’re able to enjoy it.)

Brown begins by asking provocatively whether death can actually harm us. Epicurus’s answer was “no,” because we won’t exist anymore when it happens. As long as we’re alive, we’re not dead. Once we’re dead, we’re no...

Shortform Exercise: Consider the Benefits of Responsibility

We often talk about “responsibility” in terms of it being a burden or a duty. However, Brown suggests that the key to happiness is accepting full responsibility for our thoughts, emotions, and actions. Think about whether or not that might be true.

Briefly describe an instance in which you took responsibility for a positive outcome, such as a personal achievement or a team success. How did accepting responsibility make you feel? How would you have felt if you weren’t able to claim responsibility?

Shortform Exercise: What Makes You Unhappy?

Brown and the Stoics insist that it’s not other people or unpleasant events that stop us from being happy, but rather how we interpret them. And yet often, it feels that anger and hurt are a natural, automatic response to the things that happen in our lives. Consider whether it’s helpful to accept responsibility for that response.

Describe an event or circumstance beyond your control that has made you unhappy. What specific emotions did it bring up?