14 August 2008

Archive: Dan Gilbert asks, "Why are we happy?" on TEDTalks

For the next week, we're presenting some of our favorite TEDTalks from among the 270+ talks and performances we've posted since June 2006. Look for brand-new TEDTalks starting August 18. Until then, enjoy these gems -- and suggest your own by writing to contact@ted.com or joining the conversation on TED.com.

Dan Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness, challenges the idea that we’ll be miserable if we don’t get what we want. Through experiments, he's found that our "psychological immune system" lets us feel truly happy even when things don’t go as planned. It's a big idea that has spawned pages of discussion on TED.com. About this talk and Barry Schwartz's (yesterday's archive pick), one blogger writes, "I found reading the comments on the talks as interesting as the talks themselves." (Recorded February 2004 in Monterey, California. Duration: 21:28)

Watch Dan Gilbert's 2004 talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 270+ TEDTalks.

Read the transcript >>

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