Era of Darkness - 10 Key Points
10 Key Ideas from The Happiness Hypothesis 1. The Mind Is Like a Rider and an Elephant Haidt’s central metaphor: Elephant = emotions, instincts, automatic reactions Rider = conscious reasoning Happiness requires training the elephant, not just giving the rider more logic. --- 2. Happiness Comes from Both Internal and External Conditions Neither “happiness is within” nor “happiness comes from outside” is fully true. You need both mental habits and supportive surroundings (relationships, community, meaningful work). --- 3. “Reciprocity” Drives Human Morality Humans deeply value fairness. We repay kindness and punish those who cheat. This reciprocity — “help those who help you” — is a foundation of social harmony. --- 4. The Negativity Bias Controls Us The mind reacts more strongly to threats than to positive events. This makes: criticism hurt more than praise bad news more powerful than good Happiness requires intentional effort to override this bias. --- 5. Changing Your Thinking Can Ch...