People are happiest when they're trying to achieve goals that are difficult but not out of reach.

Part of us believes the new car is better because it lasts longer. But, in fact, that's the worst thing about the new car. It will stay around to disappoint you, whereas a trip to Europe is over. It evaporates. It has the good sense to go away, and you are left with nothing but a wonderful memory.

Psychologists call this habituation, economists call it declining marginal utility, and the rest of us call it marriage.

People are happiest when they're trying to achieve goals that are difficult but not out of reach.

We humans can look deep into future and predict what will happen, but then turn around and do nothing about it.

The good news is that going blind is not going to make you as unhappy as you think it will. The bad news is that winning the lottery will not make you as happy as you expect.

The word happiness is used to indicate at least three related things, which we might roughly call emotional happiness, moral happiness, and judgmental happiness.