It's clear that policymakers and economists are going to be interested in the measurement of well-being primarily as it correlates with health; they also want to know whether researchers can validate subjective responses with physiological indices.

I don't try to be clever at all. The idea that I could see what no one else can is an illusion.

When you are under time pressure for a decision, you need to follow intuition.

The dominance of conclusions over arguments is most pronounced where emotions are involved.

Optimistic people play a disproportionate role in shaping our lives. Their decisions make a difference; they are inventors, entrepreneurs, political and military leaders - not average people. They got to where they are by seeking challenges and taking risks.

You are more likely to learn something by finding surprises in your own behavior than by hearing surprising facts about people in general.

I'm not a great believer in self-help.