Happiness -- WOW!

Eric Falkenstein references Daniel Kahneman @TED on happiness.

I've not listened to Kahneman, but Falkensteins 2 page summary clarifies the core problem around happiness in a way that a dozen happiness authors haven't (Aristotle, Csikszentmihalyi, Gilbert, Lyubomirsky, Frederickson, Leonard, Roberts, Goleman, the Dalai Lama, Haidt, Hanh, Seligman, Rubin)

Summary of the summary:

There are 2 kinds of happiness.  Happiness now, and happiness remembered.

Drugs tend to be big happiness now, but not happiness remembered.
Kids tends not to be happiness now, but tremendous happiness remembered.
People tend (intelligently) to prefer happiness remembered over happiness now.


This is the Alexandrian sword to the Gordian knot of happiness.  Best idea-set I've read this month.  Explains the entire happiness discussion, from Aristotle forward, in one swell foop.  Also helps explain stuff to kids much much better than "builds character". 

I'm in the "If this doesn't become part of your basic thought processes, you didn't understand it yet" camp.