The Opposite of Happiness

Behavioral economist George Loewenstein argues against the common belief that happiness is the natural human condition, holding that lives are shaped by the darker emotions people work so hard to avoid. Drawing on decades of research, on literature and on his own life, he explains why pain clings harder than pleasure, why modern life tends to deepen bad feelings, and why trying to escape misery usually sharpens its sting. He shows how memory, attention and self-esteem work together to hold people down, points to the downside of hope, and sorts through guilt, shame, envy, jealousy, loneliness, boredom and regret. He also shares stories from participants in his Misery Survey.

Adam Grant named it in The 12 New Books to Spice Up Your Fall, praising its account of where unpleasant emotions come from and what good they do.