The Psychology of Happiness and Feedback | Sheila Heen | Big Think

The Psychology of Happiness and Feedback
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Sheila Heen, a Partner at Triad Consulting Group and a lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School, explains the psychology behind feedback and criticism. Heen is co-author of "Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well."
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SHEILA HEEN:
Sheila Heen is a Partner at Triad Consulting Group and a Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School. She also teaches courses for executives and lawyers through Harvard's Executive Education series. Through her consulting practice Sheila has worked with a wide variety of clients. In addition to corporate clients like Ford, Citigroup, IBM, Shell, DuPont and Merck she has also provided training for the Singapore Supreme Court, assisted Greek and Turkish Cypriots grappling with the conflict that divides their island, and worked with Requestors who talk to families about donating a loved one's organs for the New England Organ Bank. Recently she spent time in Barrow, Alaska, with the Inupiat Board of Directors for the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, who control the Arctic Slope and ANWAR. Sheila spent ten years with the Harvard Negotiation Project, developing negotiation theory and practice. She specializes in particularly difficult negotiations - where emotions run high and relationships become strained. Sheila is co-author, along with Douglas Stone and Bruce Patton, of the New York Times Business Bestseller, Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most (Penguin 2000).
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TRANSCRIPT:
Sheila Heen: If you look at the neuroscience, the way that we're wired has a profound effect on how we hear and respond to feedback. Now, we took a look at three variables that are particularly important in terms of your reaction to feedback. The first is your baseline. In the literature this is called set point sometimes. It's sort of a how happy or unhappy are you in the absence of other events in your life. Where's that level that you come back to?
If it's a scale of one to ten. Some people just live their lives at nine. They're just so unbelievably happy and cheerful about everything, you know from like a cup of coffee to a promotion they're just thrilled. This research comes from looking at lottery winners. A year later they're about as happy or unhappy as they were before they won the lottery. And people who go to jail, a year later they're about as happy or unhappy as before they went to jail. Now, the reason this matters for feedback, particularly if you have a low set point or baseline, positive feedback can be muffled for you. The volume is turned down; it's harder for you to hear it.
Now, we look at the second variable, which is swing. When you get positive or negative feedback how far off your baseline does it knock you? The same piece of feedback can be devastating for one person and, you know, kind of annoying for another. And then the third variable is how long does it take you to come back to your baseline. How long do you sustain positive feeling or how long does it take you to recover from negative feeling. So taken together that's where the big variation in sensitivity comes from that some people are extremely sensitive and other people are pretty insensitive, or maybe I should say even keel. But I suppose if you're insensitive you don't really care what I call you so it doesn't matter.
Here's why this is particularly important. There are two reasons. One is your own footprint or feedback profile, not only influences how you receive feedback, it also influences how you give feedback. So if you're pretty even keel it could be that you're more likely to be pretty direct or other people would describe you as harsh in your feedback because you think like this isn't that big of deal; you're overreacting to it. Other people who are very sensitive are likely to tiptoe around issues. And if they're talking to someone who's pretty even keel like they're not even understanding that you're giving them feedback. Like you have to be pretty direct to even get through to them.
The second reason it matters is that particularly if you swing negative it can actually distort your sense of the feedback itself and your sense of yourself. So in terms of distorting your sense of the feedback itself, it's almost like it super sizes it. You know, one piece of feedback triggers sort of an overwhelming flood where the feedback itself overruns its borders. It's not one thing it's everything. It's not now it's forever. And you...
Read the full transcript at bigthink.com/videos/the-psych...

[@bigthink]

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[@UsernameNULL755]

it would be awesome if we could take a quiz or something to measure our happiness swing level etc

[@TaraDobbs]

Thank you for posting this. I'm a person with PTSD from years of abuse from my mother, from the harshness of my piers growing up and the abuse from my now exhusband. My baseline for happiness would have to be 4 to 5. I can be very sensitive when I've lost confidence in myself. Most times I'm 'even kell" (sp?) and I'm direct cause my family in the past were so in the negative way. I'm direct towards my coworkers and friends because I'm not afraid to talk. I had always been told to stay quiet. Now that I'm grown, I don't like staying quiet. My directness isn't harsh, it is procieved as such by others cause I've noticed they don't know how to talk to others, too. However, with all this in mind, I have 'echos' of my past that keep popping up in my mind of all the bad things I've gone through. The 'echo' is so bad that I loose confidence easily and get depressed easily. Thankfully I work on art and writing to get it out, but at times it's not enough. I would like it very much if this video conversation would continue in 'How to counter and clean up negative thoughts/feedback'. How to calm the PTSD in my mind and others like me. This video helped open me up a bit inside, so now I feel a bit stronger. Knowing thy self is a powerful thing. It helps me and others move on to be the best person any of us can be so we can live our lives to the fullest. PTSD can be treated, but it takes each of us to face ourselves to find that happiness we lost.

[@cobinizer]

We've known this for decades. Happiness is like body weight. It may fluctuate, but it will generally remain the same. So, if you're unhappy now, get used to it.

[@danilomartinsrochamartinsr8435]

i guess this would not necessarily apply to people with depression. In case they can treat it, they will fell better. it´s what happened to me

[@stevebrizzle]

A quick definition of what exactly she means by 'feedback' would have enhanced this video.

[@germanylicious]

That is a REALLY good Vid!!! Very insightful and well put in perspective. I think understanding yourself is soo crucial in order to figure out how to deal with things and life in general.

[@stsmartie]

What a lovely and well articulated distillation and presentation.

[@E5Bobby]

I found this very insightful and very helpful. Thank You for making it and posting it!

[@JasperKlijndijk]

Wow this video help is giant. I watch big think 4 months now and this is the most educating of all.

[@PMW3]

would winning the lottery make me happy? I don't know, but I would like to find out!

[@Omargharbi5038]

Most insightful 3 minutes of my life

[@DevilishDragonite]

The title had me coming into this video with low hopes of hearing anything of value, but this turned out to be really insightful and interesting. Good speaker, but bad representation with big think.

[@dianthis]

This makes sense, whether it’s accurate or not idk but my baseline since my teens has been about 5 or 6. I’ve come to accept after so many years (I’m 56 now) that this is just who I am and deal with it accordingly. Kinda sucks though because for the longest time I was adamant that I could be as happy as I was when I was younger. Yup, I’m a slow learner and will always keep learning.

[@evanah3703]

This video really helped. Thank you 🌸

[@CosmicNeonNeko]

Wow, very insightful.

[@yaqoobjunjua6562]

I totally understand this

[@sanjeevkhyalia3439]

Nice info about our happiness mechanism tnx uploader and creator

[@YoungLiteTV]

I loved the google analogy. Insightful

[@batbawls]

One of the better ones.

[@SF2PersianKing]

i am very impressed

[@GoSuMonSteR]

Hell to the fuck yeah it would.

[@EliteAssass1n]

I personally wouldn't want to just win it all and not have to ever worry about anything. Life would be boring without work/stress/struggle to balance the happy things. Being on vacation constantly would get stale after a few years. Besides, you can save up money for houses, traveling and other materialistic things and feel much better about getting them because you actually worked for them instead of getting lucky.

[@StickyPlasters]

Samuel Garcia That's what I always thought but it's been proven otherwise. Winning alot of money wouldn't change how you feel about yourself. Money doesn't buy happiness, but a lack of it causes misery is the saying I live by.

[@paulthewarrior8141]

awesome video

[@alo754]

As a college student, yes. Winning the lottery would make me very happy.

[@ShassaMMO]

So many people getting argumentative without watching the video. Never once does she imply that getting money won't make you happy. She does talk about really sensitive people, though. *ahem*

[@TheAktyagi]

this is such bizarre timing for me because i'm so hung up on some negative feedback and realize that i need to just take it in and move on - thanks

[@KingKobe85]

Yes. Yes it would.

[@stabgan]

Here I am having money, gf , an awesome job and all the things I need. I can't think of a single thing I can buy because I have it all. I don't need anything more. But also I'm unhappy because I have no more ambitions and goals. I don't know what to fight for.

[@dr.julianataylor4312]

To keep it simple...acceptance open's your heart. If you have been very undermined and victimized by abusive or negative words...you may be too shut down to notice or be over-sensitive. Staying out of our head's, naturally opens our heart. Problem solved..less google more love! You are divine love and you will get to experience it...it is inevitable! It is your true identity!

[@secondghost]

If you think money won't buy you happiness then you should look that the fucking smile on my face.

[@ronmaest]

Idiots who say it doesn't are ignorantly idealistic. Even if you're generally not a happy person, you could buy methods to become happier, ones that'd be out of your reach without the money. One could afford an expensive yet, hopefully, effective therapist and/or subscribe to a pill treatment. Francis crick once said to know what you want to do in life, use the' gossip test' - that which you find yourself gossiping about the most and invest in it.

[@Jayremy89]

Money does make people happy, up to a threshold. Ideally i'd like to make about 40-50k a year working a light part time job, beyond that ratio I could care less. With 40-50k I can live nearly anywhere and save enough over time for later in life. Id work full time if I really loved the job it was, but I like free time to do whatever the hell I want more than money- I just need enough money to afford all of that and to eat/live healthy. I think what she is addressing though is pretty major and subtly obvious; that is people get used to their conditions and it normalizes. It's why the self-improvement aspect of things is sometimes great for people, particularly when feedback from their environment is good. People like to feel their is some progression in their selves/lives. Then I think there are some people who read into emotions/actions more and others who read into words/communication more, where the opposite on either is jumping directly to one sole conclusion rather casually.

[@thenotavailble]

soooo basically, eventually, no matter what we do we are always going be the same in mood even if you try to be happy or sad

[@LimboFitness]

Just lift and be happy!! That's why we started or channel, feel free to check out our workout videos and fitness tips

[@Kosaro1234]

Working out makes me cranky. Anyone else?

[@conorkosidowski3924]

Kosaro Heavy lifting exhausts me. Conditioning(cardio) makes me feel good. I do a lot of heavy lifting, but I always feel absolutely beaten afterwards. Cardio makes me feel bad afterwards, but great soon after that. If you don't like lifting, don't mistake that with working out. You may like one but not the other.

[@Mexico013]

Yes it would. It would eliminate 95% of your problems

[@Dracongard]

At best money eliminates many problems and the highest one I would think is stress. A lot of it gone but some will be around. Why would it? Who can argue that having a giant aged steak without breaking bank isn't nice to eat?

[@malky2583]

it adds almost as many problems as it takes away, people asking for money from you, managing the money, networking with your lawyer, your accountant, taxes etc. even though you aren't living paycheck to paycheck you still have money issues, just they are in the opposite spectrum. You would end up essentially running a full time business worth of stress just to manage your income. therefore money can't buy happiness, only change the conditions of your lifestyle.

[@UsernameNULL755]

the thing is that after a certain period of time, you would get back to your happiness level prior to winning the lottery, it's simply how our brains work

[@Mexico013]

Go into hiding, or claim it anonymously. Set half aside for investments/savings, use the rest to eliminate debt and be happy. Give some to family if desired, but ask for a favor so aren't inclined to keep asking. Continue working or take the opportunity to better yourself, after enjoying yourself a bit first though

[@MarkoKraguljac]

Lets forget "emotional baselines" and stuff for a moment. Winning lottery is overkill. I just need unconditional and regular income to be *much* happier. Wage prostitution on a tight leash creates misery. Thats ~80% of people.

[@MarkoKraguljac]

***** I was talking about something along the lines of Unconditional Basic Income (UBI, BI, GBI..). Everyone would receive it, rich and poor. Wages of "heavy lifting" jobs that you mention would have to be renegotiated as participants would no longer be so utterly desperate to take any job thrown their way. There were successful pilot projects with UBI worldwide. Research it a bit. Search for Guy Standing. I wont respond to arguing and insults.

[@MarkoKraguljac]

***** What do you mean by "socialist"?

[@MarkoKraguljac]

***** Root problem is in pathological understanding that human beings are somehow autonomous in *any* way. While that pathological understanding is a useful gimmick to motivate certain sort of people and drive progress, we should keep in mind that it is just that - a false concept. Do people have free will?

[@MarkoKraguljac]

***** Are your lung cells concerned what will happen and who will receive oxygen they captured? No, your organism exists and functions only because every cell is left to do "its thing". Similarly, human society is in essence no different than an organism. Every human being should be allowed *basic* maneuvering (in our case financial) space to do "its thing", *unconditionally*; if our aim is to uproot violence and misery. Before you say that we have to "take" all that from someone in order to give them I'll repeat: Large scale individual ownership, in essence, does not exist. Its just society created and maintained idea to motivate (harness) certain pathological traits of some people for the betterment of all. "Taking from those who have" means to "take" only as much as to not endanger their long term well-being so that we help those who are existentially threatened. If you cannot understand this concept you surely fall into one of these broad categories: 1. Already rich, bent on preserving the status quo at all costs (financial, social, propagandistic..). 2. Formal member/participant/employee being paid by the rich to spread their ideology (think tanks, media, courtiers, corrupted academics, celebrities...) Through time they become corrupted and start believing in their own propaganda. They are paid "not to know". 3. Working too hard (or having delusional perception that you work hard), not because you like what you do but because you were ideologically promised that you too will be rich one day. You feel that by "working too hard" you play by the rules and naturally you will hate anyone whom you perceive to "not play by these rules". Guess what, rich first and foremost do not play by these rules and you'll never be rich, statistically speaking. 4. Already dirt poor but thoroughly brainwashed by culture-of-the-rich-for-the-rich to believe that they are just temporarily embarrassed millionaires. They feel their non-existent wealth is already threatened by other not-so-deserving poor. It would be funny if it wasn't tragic. Paradoxically, this type will be most fervent to defend sanctity of the rich and their ideology. Obsession with celebrities is noticeable. Finally, lets propose a practical example. Getting something for nothing sounds as if people will start getting Ferraris for nothing. Its far from that. Just tell me, as US can easily finance that, would American society be better or worse if all adults unconditionally received ~$500 per month? Please, think about it longer than 0-5 minutes.

[@MarkoKraguljac]

***** There are relatively few people on an isolated island. They all know each other well and despite sporadic disagreements manage to live quite peacefully as a community. As was through history with most similar human groups, they worked and suffered way less than you seem to imagine. They had *loads* of leisure time and were not in the least obsessed with production as an end in itself. Most of such groups didn't have any kind of formalized money system because money comes into play in much more complex societies when dominant groups (kings for example) had to finance armies. Means of production on this island are nearly non-existent. Almost everything that needs to be done (fishing, grinding vegetables, collecting water, caring for children and old, defending from predators..) is done with very crude tools (rocks, sticks etc) widely available to everyone. Each of them knows what they all need to live (sorts and quantities) and they all accumulate and share as a group, in good and bad times. There are no rich or poor nor there can be. Whatever they do not understand they collectively explain through their imagination and believe it to be true. There is absolutely no need (or possibility) for formalized measure such as basic income in such a place. It would be like asking: who would give you a refrigerator 2000 years ago among Greeks. Even having refrigerator would be pointless because you wouldn't know what to do with it. Its way out of context. So, your island metaphor might be useful for understanding certain group dynamics but its completely meaningless to compare it to modern times considering something like basic income. And of course, I would be more than happy to do whatever is needed on this island, together with other people, because then (as now too) everyone wants to contribute and leave mark on the world. In our own way, not as desperate, rented pieces of someone else's machinery. On the other hand, modern world consists of billions of people. Technology has advanced so far that its application is already surpassing individual human capacity in more areas each day. Libertarians and market fundamentalists will say how that changes nothing because human wants are limitless and new products, services *and jobs* will come. To that I respond: *but individual human capacities are not unlimited!* More and more people are having trouble to find decently payed, productive jobs. Why? Because machines do it without pause, breaks, vacations, health issues etc. And much better and faster, especially cognitive tasks. If you carefully observe (what most people never do) you will see that service sector is literally ballooning for decades now. And its no longer just plain old service sector but is increasingly becoming an imaginary field whose sole purpose is to imagine some new crap to be shoved down our throats just so that some people have "jobs" (income really) in order to justify their existence on this planet. Its mostly load of completely made-up bullshit of infested/mutated protestant work ethic remains. Government agencies are also ballooning behind the curtains, because of loads of desperate people who, pretending to need a job, really are trying to get income. Everyone needs income and jobs are less and less. And jobs will continue to dwindle. US Bureau of Labor Statistics can numerically move 99% of US citizens out of labor force and claim that unemployment is bellow 5%. Labor force participation has fallen sharply ( data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS11300000 ) since 2008. crisis yet "unemployment" has fallen too. It either means that US has added, since 2008. crisis, millions of rich people who no longer need jobs or that there are millions of very desperate people who stopped looking for one. So, you cannot really compare how you produce and own a sharpened stick on some isolated island with modern, capital intensive, highly complex production. Fruits of that production do not really belong to current owners of machinery but to the whole of humanity. 99.9999% of what is possible today is a result of efforts of people who are long gone, ancestors of modern humanity. Every modern industrialist/owner is not really an owner but a steward of heritage of all of us. That is when we come to another name used for basic income - citizens dividend. Your basic income cost projection is incredibly skewed and misses an important point. First, if it was introduced globally, it would be calibrated for each separate country tied to the cost of basic necessities for a dignified life. In US that might be $1000, in Switzerland $2000 (in CHF), in Egypt maybe $200. What you miss is that all this money would create demand for real products and services. Money which we currently desperately lack is given unconditionally to big banks (through QE programs) who refuse to lend even after received it for nearly free. This sea of money would lift all boats and allow flowering of our nascent, increasingly robotic economy, which needs investment much more than human labor. Our only limit is energy usage. On the other hand, people would be free not to take part in unnecessary pollution and creation of junk. Really hard and dirty jobs' wages would spontaneously be adjusted because there would no longer be legions of super-desperate and poor people literally avoiding starvation. Something akin to free market might even work once no one is negotiating from starvation threatened position as most people are today. People faced with starvation will do anything. There is nothing free about that situation, its disguised feudalism. Finally, measure such as basic income would guarantee *everyone* space to negotiate. Thats currently impossible as we live in economic totalitarianism. Those who feel that they are exploited, over-taxed, taken advantage of would be free to either stop doing what they are doing or renegotiate conditions without being existentially threatened. Sanity for the world can only come bottom up and that starts by giving all people unconditional basic maneuvering space to make decisions. People who live paycheck to paycheck are under tremendous amount of stress. Poverty and extreme uncertainty tend to perpetuate themselves, creating sickness, misery and crime in turn. What we have today was "earned" (since you so love that word) by people who no longer exist.

[@afrojavix]

Well, everyone knows happyness can only be momentary, not eternal.

[@magicbuskey]

Wow. That sounds like PTSD based BPD. I really like that model.

[@percycardona]

The subtle swoosh sound at 2:54 after she says, "Google bias" is a nice touch. It triggers your brain to feel like the subject requires your full attention. Did you notice? #ProducerMindsNeverStop

[@tomandband]

Sheila knows what she's talking about

[@Phoenix2000fly]

It is human instinct to love. Humans know love.

[@WhoooLovesOrangeSoda]

My initial reaction would be excitement but that would die quickly. I love science so being able to experiment would make me happy. The money itself wouldnt though. Especially since I grew up without a lot of money. I would be thankful and help people when I can. Those two things would make me happy. Its an indirect happiness.

[@demonslayer357]

Question at 3:16: how do u dismantle the distortion so u can see the feedback in its actual size? Answer: psychedelics

[@antoanhristov8182]

Cool

[@Sovereign_King]

Is this a segment from a book? If so which one?

[@obsideonyx7604]

lol "google bias" suits the concept too well, classic

[@nicholasgarcia1250]

That AkaiProvideo Ad though..

[@MagdaNarima]

Sometimes I think I'm insensitive, but other times I think I'm sensitive...

[@LuukP20]

Likely to be true but as she said depends on what person we are looking at. I would be absolutely thrilled to win money so could finally affort a garden and plant some vedgies. Well that would make me happy over a very long time. So i guess its not only what person we are looking at. But what the money is spent on.

[@LeonidasGGG]

Omg...I have that.

[@harambeflambe]

have what?

[@chessplayer8798]

Would winning the lottery make me happy?I really do not know,but it would certainly help in some areas of my life.My personal theory is that people who are born poor and then get some serious money are happy in life unlike people who are born rich and take everything for granted.

[@joebenike8518]

Would you?

[@jan-owennugent1932]

The last minute sounded a lot like me, but what do I do? Maybe I just have to accept that I'm an unhappy person. Besides, what have I done to deserve happiness?

[@AchronTimeless]

If not spent foolishly on trying to show off how rich you are, for the average person, winning the lottery is a nearly unlimited supply of income. Housing, food, bills.. those disappear as stressors. If the first thing you have to say is that you're ignoring outside influences, then of course you miss the fact that it will immediately remove a LOT of negative outside influences.

[@danilomartinsrochamartinsr8435]

you dont believe the study then?

[@--1111-1-]

DUDE, win a few million means no more worries about income and keeping your job or working in general.

[@joshp.1246]

I don't think it would take me a year to go back to the happiness level i was before winning the lottery. I think it would take about a week for it to really sink in then possibly a week or two of above average happiness until i'm back to how i am now.

[@Orjahlian]

It's true that money doesn't buy happiness, but lack thereof sure can cause depression.

[@CorkPhop]

I don't know about this. Almost every problem I have in life is financial. It's depressing to me that I (and almost everyone else) have to work their whole lives for someone else, doing something they hate, just to make a living.

[@CorkPhop]

***** Okay, but before I started working I was happy. Even shortly after working. My depression only began after realizing how ungrateful employers are, how little I was making, and when my money problems began.

[@CorkPhop]

Correctrix Oh, I was thinking she was saying that everyone returns to their "baseline" and some people just have "sad/depressing" baselines and will be that way no matter how well off they are in life.

[@lisasays6174]

I'm struggling to see how this approach maintains subjectivity in the feedback and what it does or doesn't represent. This video seems to imply that it's objective and can be taken to mean only one thing, without recognizing that one thing is nothing more than the opinion of whomever is giving the criticism. (And if anyone can explain how feedback is not a critique, please illuminate me. )

[@Hiimmarah]

You should do a video on Christopher Columbus.

[@louididdy]

High rising tone?

[@qiyuewu]

hmm so would it be interesting to someone who is sensitive when giving feedback, and is not as sensitive, constructive even, when receiving feedback?

[@dupersuper1938]

I'm willing to bet winning the lottery would raise my baseline...but only after I win: I have no $ to bet now.

[@keeganmaloney3440]

how do I up my baseline?

[@DaveDude571]

heroin

[@JoshuaJeremiah]

ClutchEngaged ZING!!!

[@keeganmaloney3440]

not helpful

[@keeganmaloney3440]

***** If I wanted to be delusional I would just take magic mushrooms. I don't need superstition and I don't need dangerous drugs. I need something real and helpful.

[@WhatsAfterThisPlace]

People always forget about nature, if you want hapiness then reconnect with nature. Hiking or even taking naps by your garden can help. People forget we are creatures that evolved outdoors.

[@TagMahirTzedek]

To those who say that money doesn't bring happiness- Then send me all your money.

[@cheyennealvis7899]

it's an internal state bro. That's why if you had your arms and legs cut off and you were blinded but had an ENORMOUS amount of Heroin put into your body, you would actually be the Happiest guy in the WORLD

[@TagMahirTzedek]

Cheyenne Alvis But that is an illusion. Its not real happiness. And definitely not lasting happiness. True happiness should come from reality and not a temporary high.

[@cheyennealvis7899]

TagMehirTzedek yeah brother. True happiness comes from in you. It is your state. Now u know

[@stevenn99]

TagMehirTzedek Money is a "temporary" high.

[@moleClaw]

StevenNnnnnNnNNNNnnnnNnnnNNnN What do you mean? Tell that to a homeless person. What cheyenne is talking about is a short instant high. The value of having a house, not having to worry about food, knowing you can always afford health care and an education for your children is priceless. Being filthy rich may not make you happier but being rich enough to cover all your basic needs will relieve a lot of stress and make you happier.

[@strizzyl]

good luck.

[@scooteroo1701]

Would it make me happier then I am now? Probably not for too long. Less stressed however? YOU BET! Not having to worry about where the money for my next house payment is coming from would be much much less stressful then working a ton of jobs to scrape by :P Just to clarify Im actually a generally happy person for the most part. :)

[@JarodBenowitz]

What you say is great but what is the actual mechanism that causes this at the neuronal level? It is my hypothesis that how the neurons are connected isn't the only factor in how information is processed in the brain. There are neuronal sheaths that are folded throughout the brain. While this maximizes surface area it may also play another pivotal role in neural processes. Neurons that are not connected but are at a sufficient distance from each other may be activated by a residual electromagnetic wave produced from the ion channels opening and closing. In this manner the morphology and topology of the brain play a role.

[@JarodBenowitz]

Be interesting to test this. Theoretically the skin depth of the electromagnetic wave would have to be large enough to penetrate the cell membrane and perturb the voltage gradient causing the neuron to fire. If it is sufficient the idea is worth testing.

[@JarodBenowitz]

This actually has been observed its called "ephatic coupling" but the mechanism still isn't clear. My best guess is the weak electromagnetic fields are produced by radiating neurotransmitters where the microtubules behave as antennas.

[@JarodBenowitz]

You should be able to calculate the radiation pressure on the myelin sheath due to the radiated EM fields. This in turn will cause the cell membrane to vibrate possibly perturbing the action potential. It's all speculation but it is testable.

[@datfall]

Jarod Benowitz well just keep in mind that this video is for the general public. Talking the mechanism will loses audience's interest who are not in this field of study.

[@JarodBenowitz]

These "adjustments" are physical mechanisms occurring in the brain. If we can understand these mechanisms we will be better suited at curing mental illnesses.

[@benyu8753]

The speaker's name is Sheila Heen. I mean, she obviously is not a "Benjamin"!

[@AGrayPhantom]

YES! Winning the lottery would make me very, very happy. I hate it when people tell you money can't buy happiness. People who say that are suffering from severe cognitive dissonance, A.K.A. sour grapes. Give me an easy, carefree life of pursuing what I want and never work for the man again!

[@-cosmicrogue-]

ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD.

[@thatunaniranjan378]

Ok money does bring happiness to a degree, after that set point is reached money doesnt really matter. That number is around $75 000 a year but that can vary from person to person.

[@xxchubacaslay3rxx599]

its not about being happy or sad

[@UltimateP0wnage]

From my point of view this seems like a description of a problem. No solution was offered. I believe Big Think should be about solutions.

[@bdjoe3]

No it probably would not. But I would rather be filthy fucking rich and unhappy then dirt poor and unhappy.

[@78shovelhead]

I would be very happy if I won. period. I have seen a lot of stories where it made people miserable, but that would not happen to me.

[@RuinTheSlayer]

No but it would make my life easier and allow me the freedom to find happiness.

[@NvTwist]

No! I was happier during the portion of my life when I was struggling. Losing friends cause now they see you differently. If I didn't need the money I'd spread it around, but due to a debilitating injury that's not an option. So yeah life suck right now.

[@mackjack32]

It's a PI controller haha, you are missing your derivative control (damping) so I suppose it would be to what extent we resist changes in mood.

[@iphoneawesome123]

The people who are financially reponsible would be happy

[@NobbyKNobbs]

I find happiness in clicking the thumbs up and thumbs down button. yay!

[@BobDoesGaming1987]

Happiness doesn't exist, at least for the majority of people, and if it does it's fleeting.

[@KFuzze]

lol

[@Elischannel4stuff]

Why does this lady remind me of Mat Pat?

[@DFKZakku]

Wouldn't make me happy, but it would just solve a few issues that are money related

[@TheFrankMcLunae]

Winning the lottery would obviously make you happy. Many variables would affect that happiness, either positively or negatively, after the fact that you have already won it. It's a dumb question. You play to win, that's the truth.

[@nO_d3N1AL]

Interesting. So there is a natural medium which is not influenced by monetary factors. Just like the economy I suppose. In the long run, only REAL factors can affect REAL variables.

[@asmac7381]

A truly representative sample group? Increased happiness is consistent when true financial wealth is introduced into the average income family for example. When financial struggle is alleviated happiness is increased. Common sense. To many assume that apparent "expert" opinion is always accurate. Our world of sheep.

[@OhneSkript]

Money doesn't make you happy but crying in a nice car ist so much better.

[@TheQuietAtheist]

First and foremost, it would make me very happy. However, I think that it would be important to be level headed about this. I would first donate Money to my favorite charity. That would be the ASPCA. I then would buy a Home. I would buy transportation for my Wife, and I. Last but not least, I would throw the rest in the Bank, and just live off of the interest. I may have a Vacation, who knows. I wouldn't abuse it..I would just live my life like I do now.

[@sfaginx]

Well said, although I think that we should start preventing cruelty to humans first and foremost, and then we can start taking care of our more distant relatives. The animals.

[@TheQuietAtheist]

sfaginx You have a good point there. You know, there are a lot of people that spend their time in other Countries. I would like to look at the Country that we live in, and take care of the people here.

[@KNakanishi]

Don't stake your sense of self worth on your work.

[@ShadowCoH316]

I think I would love to play the lottery one time and win purely out of spite.

[@MeLexdy]

I believe it wouldnt. My problems are not that simple so i could solve them with money. Money is nothing. And it should be promoted less as the solution of everything by the system itself. Look wealthy ppl. Yeah the iconic model of happyness itself. Can u buy health with money? partially Can u buy happyness? Oh thats a great topic over there isnt it?

[@YipYapYoup]

"Money is nothing" It's something in this society. Denying it is living in another world and you obviously are comfortable money-wise to say that. If you don't have any money, you can't do what you want and you will live in unhealthy conditions (psychologically as well).

[@MeLexdy]

YipYapYoup"you obviously are comfortable money-wise to say that." Are u saying that i have money here? I really dont get it. Im not talking about any. I thought that was easy to spot. U can live as the happiest man as a middle class man.

[@deadhardy]

rurounisld the middle class is being separated into lower middle class and upper middle class

[@MeLexdy]

BattousaiHBr Im

[@MeLexdy]

Satoru Iwata Yes, so its a tool, a medium. Dont u feel ppl treat it like its the ultimate goal in this life? Its not that papper bill that ensures u all the things u need. Its ur labour. And ur house is some1 else's labour. In reality what is the value of money? Isnt it paper we say it has value?

[@TheFlyboy0751]

She is totally hot, she does make sense though, but true happiness comes from within, just as beauty does.

[@monstersince]

psychology has no factual basis therefore its an opinion. by some bird who did law. i hope you received the feedback well i didnt click on the vlog give me a buck stuff as i am too busy

[@creounity]

Sponsor ads from your father and your ex :D

[@zexionthefirst6767]

This was exactly the comment I was looking for

[@Calquelater]

What do you expect when we are just advanced monkys

[@JeremieBPCreation]

That background is scorching my eyes. Interesting video otherwise.

[@BHAGIRATHx]

doesn't metter for me :) :(

[@ApEnNy4YoUrThOuGhTz]

Great vid but the inflections at the end of every sentence began to drive me up the wall lol could not listen to her for an hour.

[@luf4rall]

Something really sexy about this woman.

[@bbkingzor]

Well, that's just because you have a crappy job. If you lived doing what you loved, all what you said would become irrelevant.