Last week I posed the question, ‘Can I become happier?’ The answer is of course ‘yes’, our choices are important. But they aren’t the only factor involved. I then asked a second question ‘Which is most important in determining our happiness – genetics, circumstances or choices?’ Each of them have some impact, but not to […]
Growth and development
Tradition and a mono-cultural perspective
We live in an age of diversity, of openness to others’ culture, of multiculturalism We pride ourselves on being less dogmatic and blinkered than our forefathers. And so we are, in many ways. As the globe has shrunk, many alternative worldviews have emerged. We appreciate others’ cultures – we have a healthy cross-cultural attitude. Our […]
Connecting – probably the most important thing you can do!
The writer and psychiatrist Edward Hallowell in his book “Connect” tells us about the “two most powerful experiences in life”. He says they are “achieving” and “connecting.” He goes on, “Almost everything that counts is directed toward one of these two goals.” That’s worth a moment’s reflection. It’s difficult to think of any human activity that falls […]
How fit are you (I don’t just mean physically)?
Here’s a word we use a fair amount One dictionary defines fitness as “the condition of being physically strong and healthy”. Some of us work at it pretty hard; most of us think it’s a good thing to have. Here are two things worth mentioning…. 1. It takes hard work It doesn’t come quickly or […]
‘Can I become happier?’ part 3 (Genetics)
Picking up on last week’s post It’s probably worth giving some consideration to each of the three factors in determining our happiness. Today, we’ll look at genetics… Until quite recently Most psychologists believed that our predisposition towards happiness (or not) was largely genetically determined, on account of two research findings: Happiness is very stable […]
