Happiness Hypothesis People are constantly looking for ways to be happy. They may try looking deep inside themselves or find ways to distract themselves from the unhappiness that they are feeling. Jonathan Haidt’s Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom reveals to us how he believes the mind works in eleven chapters. He proposes his opinions as well as science to back up his “hypothesis”. Before the book even begins, Haidt explains to us in the introduction how the human mind works with “two ancient truths”. The first ancient truth reveals to us that the mind is split into two parts. Whether this split is “love and hate” or “wrong and right” I cannot be sure. This split in the brain causes conflict. From what
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Jonathan Haidt tells us that reciprocity is the key to solving all of our solutions in life. Using reciprocity in situations is like Matthew 7:12 where it says, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets (KJV Bible).” Haidt explains that this should solve most problems, but I disagree in some ways. Yes, I believe that when someone does something nice for you, you should do the same. I believe that Haidt is right in saying this because using reciprocity in this situation will keep people happy. It would avoid the whole “trying to be super nice to someone and them still being mean to you”. You be nice to someone and then they are nice to you. Simple, right? I have to disagree here. You should never expect anything in life. If I do something nice for you, I do not expect you to do anything for me. I believe that character is what you do when no one is looking. Reciprocity would cause an issue with people expecting to have the whole world handed to them after they opened a door for someone at the mall. I also believe that if someone was to smash my headlight with a baseball bat that I should not do that to them. The Bible tells us to “do unto to others as they would to you” but the Bible also teaches us to “turn the other cheek”. I have been in a situation where I have been walked all over by someone who I treated rather well. Reciprocity could have fixed that situation but figuratively “killing someone with kindness”
Jonathan Haidt tells us that reciprocity is the key to solving all of our solutions in life. Using reciprocity in situations is like Matthew 7:12 where it says, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets (KJV Bible).” Haidt explains that this should solve most problems, but I disagree in some ways. Yes, I believe that when someone does something nice for you, you should do the same. I believe that Haidt is right in saying this because using reciprocity in this situation will keep people happy. It would avoid the whole “trying to be super nice to someone and them still being mean to you”. You be nice to someone and then they are nice to you. Simple, right? I have to disagree here. You should never expect anything in life. If I do something nice for you, I do not expect you to do anything for me. I believe that character is what you do when no one is looking. Reciprocity would cause an issue with people expecting to have the whole world handed to them after they opened a door for someone at the mall. I also believe that if someone was to smash my headlight with a baseball bat that I should not do that to them. The Bible tells us to “do unto to others as they would to you” but the Bible also teaches us to “turn the other cheek”. I have been in a situation where I have been walked all over by someone who I treated rather well. Reciprocity could have fixed that situation but figuratively “killing someone with kindness”