"But the relationship between intelligence and happiness is complicated, Arthur C. Brooks wrote in 2023. "The gifts you possess can lift you up or pull you down; it all depends on how you use them," he explained. Today's newsletter explores how to utilize your skills and smarts to add joy to your life, rather than letting them chip away at what actually makes the days meaningful."
"Why so many smart people aren't happy: It's a paradox, Joe Pinsker wrote in 2016: Shouldn't the most accomplished be well equipped to make choices that maximize life satisfaction? A new formula for happiness: The happiness we seek may require investing earlier than we think-and may help us align our expectations and reality at the end of life. (From 2022)"
"The secret to satisfaction has nothing to do with achievement, money, or stuff. ( From 2022)"
Intelligence can both enhance and undermine happiness depending on how it is applied. Using gifts solely to advance status, accumulate wealth, or compare achievements often increases dissatisfaction. Redirecting talent toward meaningful relationships, service, gratitude, and reduced desire fosters deeper satisfaction. Cultivating the habit of wanting less and investing in long-term emotional resources aligns expectations with reality and supports well-being across the lifespan. Philosophical perspectives recommend aiming beyond narrow pleasure toward purpose and fulfillment. Recognizing that gifted people can be unhappy enables strategies to use skills to add joy instead of subtracting it.
Read at The Atlantic
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