You are right on, Scott. My Christianity, my family, my 5 pet cats and constantly learning provides much of the happiness in my life. I serve my family, my community largely though church related activities and ministries, I learn from you, from JBP and the IDW. I study mathematics, history. I work with charities. Christianity gives me a very deep and complete sense of purpose: my purpose is to serve God and people in Jesus' name. I have been having terrible sciatica problems lately which limits my ability to exercise and sleep due to the pain, but that will be addressed shortly. I am old enough to retire and I can afford it, but I am looking for ways to decrease my time spent on work, and transition into things I can do "post work-a-day World. I considered Toastmasters, re-read the Dale Carnegie books to refresh my memory and hopefully tutor people in Mathematics, physics, engineering and sciences in general (I am an Electrical Engineer): I'd really love to pass on my knowledge and skills in engineer to young people who are interested and excited about the sciences Remain engaged in life and give to others! That's the trick!
You know it is true, because by the end of watching this one video I certainly had a couple of "ah ha" moments. What an absolute GEM this is. "Stop thinking people will like you for who you are on the inside - nobody cares who you are on the inside; they can't see it." That stood out for me.
Thank you Scott, everything you spoke here has just confirmed everything I have been practising (do not watch Game Of Thrones never watched Trentontino ) .Very good videoI give you 5 stars here.
For me happiness has come from trusting & having faith in no one but God & me. Plus a lifetime of daily exercise & living a drug & alcohol free lifestyle & banishing smart phones from my life.
Mr. Adams...This is an Excellent presentation!..it's logical, inspiring, brief, absent the hokey "Persuasion Techniques" ie; the bum, bum bum ("vocal exercises") and the unbecoming Simultaneous Slurp...Please keep up the good work!
I totally understand about watching movies - I have found I am more sensitive to unhappy movies, etc. as I get older or perhaps as I understand myself better.
Agreed that some forms of "entertainment" is counterproductive to happiness. Scott mentioned Tarantino movies. Uh...I found Tarantino's latest movie, "Once upon a time in Hollywood" to be actually uplifting. It is the story of two unlikely friends who have loyalty and even affection for each other.
Thanks Scott! I do most of these....also - weirdly if you smile (i.e. do something physical that is happy) one can be happier. I call toxic people (soul suckers and/or soul vampires).
I hear ya, Scott. I can't watch most movies and TV ... but it makes sense because "drama", whether cinema or stage, is all about "tension", they say. And I am sensitive, I feel that stress, that tension whenever I watch these dramas. As for reading "literature", forget it ! I remember years ago taking an Intro to American Literature class and it started off with Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" short story and got more disturbing from there. Then I took an Intro to World Lit class and it was just as disturbing and creepy ! Ugh ! I DO like warm, fuzzy movies that have happy endings. lol. And you are right about introverts needing human contact. I've taken the myers-briggs several times over the decades and I always score at least 95% on the introversion (usually more, lol). I DO need SOME human interaction ... a little bit energizes me. Just a little bit is all I need. INFP girl, I am.
I’m one of those people who’s life is potentially changed because of this. Scott, you have been a tremendous piece of my transition into happiness. I feel like I have the tools to make myself happy while I’ve been so suicidal the last couple months.
Thank you so much for sharing your happiness formula. You right in addressing happiness from within and it therefore affects our whole self and our environment.
I'm with you on Tarantino...never saw a movie of his I enjoyed. "Once upon a time in Hollywood" was awful. I walked out of Pulp Fiction. Beats me why he's so revered. Great episode today, Scott (again). You've got a knack for simplifying the seemingly complex.
One percent, maximum....but that's still a lot of people. Everything you said has been available forever and it has been ignored and dismissed. It will still be ignored and dismissed by 99% of unhappy people. People cling to their unhappiness as it is their identity. I'm not being negative here, but I have tried in the past to work with unhappy people and help them. Every positive suggestion is met with a "but, but, but." Victories(getting through their defenses) is rare.
Awesome, brilliant framework. As someone who has had to invest decades into uncovering these gems, I would add the following concepts: *Meditation (I do so to awesome instrumental music so it's fun); *Singing (its cathartic, like exercise); *Kill ANTS (i.e. Automatic Negative Thoughts. Learn about Rational Responses to typical illogical thoughts 'distortions' such as Fortune Telling & Mind Reading); *Humor - incorporate it into your life as a habit. *Medical Treatments - for some, even if they take all the right actions, they may still require medication or other emerging forms of medical treatment. If so, do get help. It's ok.
Also learned through studying that serotonin and some of dopamine are produced in the stomach. Keeping the digestive system in good health has a very noticeable effect on mood. Cleanses and fasting occasionally helps because the American diet consist of eating big meals in the evening that doesn’t get fully digested and backs up the digestive system. Also effects gaba another neurotransmitter when you digestive system is efficient you get better sleep when your backed up system works over time preventing your body and brain from fully recharging at night will need extra sleep to get fully recharged
agreed...one trick i learned was when i started having negative thoughts or was dwelling on negative experiences 'you're telling yourself the 'he done me wrong' story again...say THE END.' lol it is important to notice your thoughts and intentionally redirect them...i also follow up with listing three things i'm grateful for...so easy but so hard!
@@kimmypfeiffer9130 "say THE END" , this sounds similar to the method of taking out a "earworm" melody oppressing you through out the day: just listen or hum the ending of it (hopefully having one).
In the words of Shakespeare, "Assume a virtue if you have it not." OR as my old friend Ruben used to say, "If you want to be happy, act happy." I understand that is not going to cure the physical reasons for unhappiness but it is a way that one can "think their way into happiness."(to some extent)
Sigmund Freud had a similar direction for getting to happiness. A physician, he believed that everthing was based on the body and how it functioned. To me this is all swell and good discipline, but without a mind choosing to be forgiving and to be happy, there is no way out. I see that as the essence of what must be stuffed into your "social life" box within your framework.
I use to believe that you could pull yourself out of any depression just by controlling your thoughts and that your thoughts dictated brain chemistry. Coming off suboxone several years ago I experienced unshakable depression I couldn’t break free from. So I do believe you can control it to some extent however that experience really changed my thinking on it.
Very daoist/ Buddhist method. Where thinking your way out of something is not the best solution in many cases. You want to manage the body and environment so it gives you a good quality mind, and good quality thoughts.
other people tend to be happy when i feel bad and they feel bad when I'm happy. Therefore I suggest your act of generosity to achieve happiness is to sacrifice just that. your happiness, for other people.
Oh man, Quentin Tarantino is even a drinker (as am I). So torn on this: many points I agree with, but not all. For one, I am a weight lifter and fit, and I LOVE cheat days! Find the variety helps keep it interesting and fun.
Excelente explicación de cómo podemos ser felices. Por un lado, la química. Por otro lo que podemos hacer para evitar situaciones estresantes, películas, personas tóxicas,... Muchas gracias, desde España.
Well that was very interesting huh story Scott Adams I found quite interesting about the categories and how you can make yourself happy by you know getting it the proper amount of sleep and exercise and touch while I have really no touching my life cuz I try to stay away from certain groups because I don't feel like I fit in groups that's why I pretty much stay by myself but on the other hand I hate being alone when I try to get out there and put myself out and makes somebody happy by doing something for somebody I get treated like shit if I try to do something nice I don't get nothing in return and sometimes it doesn't pay my book to try to do something nice so I just try to stay by myself but then again I always end up sad and unhappy sometimes I eat maybe too much sugar I don't know I don't get enough exercise Maybe I just don't sleep enough I don't know I go to bed at certain times I get up certain times I guess Mikey balance is off I have no touch I have no sex life I have no social life it's probably because I'm focusing on too many other things and it's not all working out the way I wanted to my life is pretty much messed up because everything that's gone wrong in my life I have what-ifs now and regrets that are not making me happy because it what I lost in the past and what is gone that I can't see how back or dream about and once something disappears there's no getting it back it's just like gone for good just like thinking and positive that's pretty much disappeared from my life I've been trying to think positive but I just wasn't want to seem to happen I try to get enough exercise and eat right I tried exercise that's kind of hard to be happy when you're stressed a lot I try not to watch too much TV because the endings kind of stress me just a pretty messed-up person without that special someone.
Having a pet may help, also volunteer for something that helps others. Doing something nice for individuals is okay, but expecting something in return is kind of self-defeating. Volunteering usually requires doing something that helps other with no expectation of a return. But often the return, is feeling better oddly enough, because you aren't expecting a return. You will also be meeting new people who share your interest. Just a thought.
Positive thinking is the prayer for the California yuppie, and apparently oldie like Scott as well. I'm sure when you account for survivor bias it's about as effective as prayer is at getting anything real done. Just like the religious who make special pleading to God's plan the positive thinker will tell you that you weren't really being positive enough.
Mental fortitude whether it be from prayer or (if your don't believe in such things) other daily rituals that give you a feeling of accomplishment can do wonders.
@@patricktuorto And, what of all the people who pray every day, and do rituals every day who fail. It fails in small samples in the lab, and if we had the ability to see the data across society we'd likely see it fails there too. Reality doesn't care about your feelings.
@@sphereround2596 The "reality" is that having the mental fortitude to accomplish small goals on a daily basis will build your way to good "feelings". For some it's prayer and for others it's a walk in the park or going to Star Bucks to shoot the breeze with someone over a coffee. Success depends on failure. Nobody in this world worth their salt achieves before they fail (multiple times). The greatest success stories in the world had to deal with loss and failure on the daily. Failure builds character or "mental fortitude" in order to "achieve". That's the actual "reality" and it seems like "reality" doesn't care about your feelings of failure. Methinks your watching too many "Emo-style" Zack Snyder Superman movies.
@@patricktuorto Talking about discipline is one thing, talking about magical thinking that ignores the real world is another. Methinks you have a poor science and philosophy education. You completely missed the point of my comment.
@@sphereround2596 science and philosophy? hmm...Methinks your muddying the waters....methinks you have big problems staying on point. Methinks you'r a Rian Johnson fan.
A lot of this is what I always tell my friends with "depression" or "anxiety". I ask them 3 questions: 1. How many times a week do you intentionality work up a sweat with physical exercise? 2. How often do you eat a big breakfast and lunch which is absent of any added sugars or carbs and has protein and veggies in it? 3. How often do you wake up at the same time every day. Sometimes I ask a fourth question if I know they play a lot of video games or watch a lot of shows: 4. When was the last time you did something for an extended period of time in a fresh air environment with exposure to the sun, preferably with friends? Almost all the answers are describable as in the negative or absurdly scare categories. I ask them if they think it's healthy the way they live, and they always say no. I ask them if they think their lifestyle has anything to do with it, and they immediately go "weeeeeelll, seee, maybe a little bit but... *Insert psychobabble excuses to justify anxiety/depression* For most people anxiety and depression is a choice.
I don't even have the will to exist most days, much less eat or sleep properly, why the fuck would I suddenly have the strength to put forth the effort to go work out or even go outside? It is very obvious that your viewpoint on depression is that "people just feel sad sometimes" and it is very much not it. I implore you do more research about what it means to be diagnosed with clinical depression.
Ok. Great video. Good info--no doubt. It's pretty funny though--Juxtaposed to the JRE clip with Scott Adams where he said he's only tried weed once--years ago--and hasn't stopped smoking weed! I didn't see that represented on your white board! LOL
Great Video! Clearly its Educational and not Political. Therefore, I wonder if #RacistGoogle will Demonetize this video? Please keep us posted if its not. Thanks
I wonder if there is a way to provide some sort of feedback to presidential candidates to focus on presenting optimistic persuasion asking voters to consider them. I am weary of attacks on their political opponents and their supporters. Looking at Pete Buttigieg.
this has worked for some people, it's like starting backwards. You take the pill and feel happy, then go about making improvements in social life, work, etc.
@ 13:21 "I avoid stressful/toxic people" GOOD LUCK WITH THAT! If you have it made, you can tell the world to fuck off. Most people don't have that option. Wish I could. First thing I would do if I was wealthy would cut people off from me that causes stress and pain in my life. I would be happier cutting people out of my life than the money!
I understood what Scott meant, but he could have worded it better. It's basically the exact problem that the "triggering" of SJWs have, and that's definitely not a behavior that we want to follow. I think he meant not to fall into addiction to stimulating but harmful drama.
One has to abhor the assumptions and philosophy behind this. Who in their right mind would pursue this chemo-physical pursuit of happiness? Either you would live like a good pet dog - or perhaps a drug addict. The life best lived, is one of struggle, contending with the world, overcoming obstacles crying with pain and frustration at times gives life an intensity that a "useful" chemically balanced person can never achieve. The struggle for survival is what we are designed for not a Californian life insulated from stress which is not life at all. It is life in "the matrix". Sorry that you will never speak to me in order that you feel no tension or stress - but I can live with that. Perhaps some who read this may also change their lives and to accept what they feel now.
Sorry, you can't be happy all the time or even most of the time because then it would be the NORMAL state, and the only way to achieve happiness from this set point would be to take drugs or engage in some dangerous activity like sky diving.
Pasty White Privileged Guy, seems a little run down, sad? Is he trying to seem calm or just low on his energy. I actually feel sorry for him, bahhhhh............ Who cares? (The chemical / body feedback stuff is true though)
Most of Scotts comments are popsci level understanding which usually means wrong. The ancients didn't have the veneer of biochemical knowledge we have now yet you would have gotten the same general advice, exercise the body, the mind, the community, and get good nutrition. I get a little annoyed when people talk about dopamine and serotonin just because if they did 5 seconds of research they'd see the idea that these chemicals being solely responsible for mood has been known to be wrong since we started doing the experiment of SSRIs on the public. It just seems like an attempt to make yourself seem more intelligent or to give what you're saying unwarranted scientific credibility.
he's only forced that way, that's probably why he said he's not a voter; out of all the options (which are few and bad) DT is still the better choice, for several reasons.. i know, it's sad it came to this point, but there are some positive sides to it. this most probably will change in the next 4 years
