Summary of Russ Harris & Steven C. Hayes's The Happiness Trap

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

Sample Book Insights:

#1 The happiness trap is a psychological trap that prevents us from finding happiness. It is based on the inaccurate belief that we can find happiness by trying to find it. But the more we try to find happiness, the more we suffer.

#2 The western world has a higher standard of living than ever before, but human misery is still growing. The numbers of psychologists, psychiatrists, marriage and family counsellors, social workers, and life coaches are increasing with every year.

#3 The modern human mind, with its amazing ability to analyze, plan, create, and communicate, has largely evolved over the last hundred thousand years. But our minds did not evolve to make us feel good. They evolved to help us survive in a dangerous world.

#4 Our minds are shaped so that we are almost inevitably destined to suffer psychologically. We compare ourselves to others, evaluate ourselves, and be dissatisfied with what we have. We imagine all sorts of frightening scenarios, most of which will never happen.