Argonauts of the Western Pathetic

The first self-described self-help book was published in 1859. The author’s name, improbably, was Samuel Smiles; the title, even more improbably, was Self-Help. –>> via Pocket https://ift.tt/3g1u2PO

Sometimes comparisons are useful — but not where feelings of happiness and fulfillment are concerned. Look hard enough and you can always find someone who seems happier, especially if your yardstick is other people’s carefully curated social media lives. That’s the problem with comparisons. –>> via Pocket http://bit.ly/2Jdwyov

Smiling really can make people feel happier, according to a new study. For the study, researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Texas A&M looked at nearly 50 years of data testing whether facial expressions can lead people to feel the emotions related to those expressions. –>> via Pocket http://bit.ly/2KzrNIe

Our individualistic culture inflames the ego and numbs the spirit. Failure teaches us who we are. Mr. Brooks is an Opinion columnist. This essay is adapted from his forthcoming book, “The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life.” –>> via Pocket https://nyti.ms/2Kbe5uV

Science says happiness is a choice, as long as you turn that thought into action. –>> via Pocket https://ift.tt/2HWfSkS