Dug deep from the 2004 archives of TED, Harvard Psychologist Dan Gilbert talks about the idea of “manufactured happiness” and argues against the idea that we will be unhappy if we do not get what we want.  A truly mind-opening video that I think everyone could benefit from watching.  Even I was skeptical at the beginning, thinking it was going to be another new-age “You control your own happiness” how-to, but there is no preaching or advice here, only some very interesting hard data collected from his own research. This guy is the real deal.  Clocking in at just over 20 minutes, its a bit of a long one, but I promise his message hits home in the last 5 minutes, so grab a beverage of choice and kick back.

-iceonthetrail