Happiness is often mistaken for a feeling, but is actually rooted in deeper aspects like love, enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning. Arthur Brooks emphasizes that understanding these elements—analogous to macronutrients—is crucial for achieving true happiness. He encourages ambitious individuals to seek their 'calling' in career satisfaction instead of merely focusing on financial success or feelings. Just like the smell of food indicates a meal without providing nutritional value, emotions should not be chased directly, as they are merely indicators of happiness rather than its essence.
"The first big mistake that people make is thinking that happiness is a feeling," Arthur Brooks, professor at Harvard Business School and author of the forthcoming book The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life, says.
"If you want to become a billionaire in the business of life, it's not about money or power," Brooks says. "It's about love and happiness, and they don't even know what the currency is. They talk about their feelings, and I say, 'That's wrong. Feelings are relevant, but they're nothing more than evidence of your happiness.'"
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