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The Surprising Science of Happiness

            Dan Gilbert has a fascinating speech titled "The Surprising Science of Happiness"(Gilbert). Gilbert uses proven studies and reputable writers and poets of different views on happiness. Explaining; why and how we are happy, the duties of the frontal lobe, synthetic happiness and a comparison to natural happiness. We all have the capability to be happy, no matter our circumstances. Whether you are a lottery winner of 2014 or became a paraplegic in 2014 your happiness is equal (Gilbert). But when looking to the future, we would see this as preposterous. We would not think twice if we had to choose between one or the other. This is because we fall into a scary place called "Impact Bias" (Gilbert). The impact bias makes us see things as better or worse then they really are. While becoming paralyzed is a thought we do not want to even think about studies show after a year it dose not effect your happiness at all. One part of our brain causes all of these things called the prefrontal cortex.
             Inside our brain is a prefrontal cortex, also called a frontal lobe. Gilbert acknowledges that the frontal lobe is a huge multitasking part of the brain but he says, "one of the most important things it does is an experience simulator." (Gilbert). This means the prefrontal cortex gives us the ability to experience the future before it happens. When we simulate a experience like a break up or a promotion at work we have to be careful not to fall into impact bias and make it seem worse or greater then it truly is. Our impact bias can be used to crate synthetic happiness. Synthetic happiness which allows us to accept and be happy with the things we can not change. Sir Thomas Browne states "I am the happiest man alive. I have that in me that can convert poverty to riches. Adversity to prosperity. And I am more invulnerable than Achilles; fortune hath not one place to hit me" (Gilbert).


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